HELP - Need help with hung brake in Kansas City, Kansas

[belfert]

I got my bus out of the repair shop for the brakes at 7:30 pm last evening.  We are now in Kansas City, KS and the tag axle brake is hung up.  Smoke started pouring out of the tag axle brake and we pulled over.  It is obvious the brake is hung.  The shop replaced the brake chamber on that side.

I would appreciate any pointers on a place to get this repaired.  The after hours guys at the place that did the repair in Minneapolis won't help me until the day shift starts at 7 am.  They would dispatch someone if I was local.

My phone number is 612-508-9956 if you can help.  I'm going to go out and take a look right now and see if maybe I figure something out.

[prevosman]

Is it a combo brake (service and emergency) or just a single brake chamber?

Disk or drum?

[belfert]

Drum brakes.  Just service since it is tag.  (I was just under the bus.)  I was incorrect on the shop replacing the tag brake chamber.  They replaced one of the front chambers.  They did work on the tag brakes.

I chocked the bus and had someone step on and off the brakes while I was under there.  It appears both brake chambers on the tag are working properly right now.  I suppose it could have cammed over.  We were barely using the brakes and no hard brake applications.  There is plenty of shoe left.

I'm not sure what to do right now.  I don't know if I should try to drive it again or not.

[prevosman]

If it is just a service brake and you are concerned about overtravel you can temprarily disconnect the hose to the brake chamber and cap or plug it. If that is not practical you can remove the hose, stick a dime in the end and reconnect it and that will restrict the air flow enough so it should not over travel.

I know you are getting beat up over this, but you now realize no matter how skilled the mechanics they don't care about your coach as much as you do. So for your own piece of mind work with the mechanic just to verify your brakes are working correct. As to over travel you should be able to see the S cam and determine if that is happening but unless your shoes and drums are really worn I would not think that is happening. Are the return springs connected and in place?

Some tags do have combo brakes. My tag axle has 16/24 chambers, a very hard size to find.

My driveway rises 80 feet in a 285 foot length so you can see that brakes that work correctly are kind of a special concern for me. They are not difficult to understand or repair.

[wal1809]

I might have read this wrong but I will ask anyway.  Were you just tooking down the road for a while and then smoke started coming out?  Or did you just get started and within a mile it happened?  The reason I asked this is I missed seeing the red light on my dash, indicating a brake was still on.  I was able to drive it about a half a mile and we started smelling the brake.  We were in very cold weather so I assumed it was frozen.   

That part where you just started seeing smoke drew my attention and got me to thinking.

[belfert]

We had driven some 400 to 500 miles before this happened.  I don't have a light on the dash that indicates if the brakes are actuated.

I thought about disconnecting the air to that brake as a temp fix, but if the chamber seems to be operating properly now so I'm not sure that would help.  Time to go underneath again I guess.

[belfert]

I looked at things again.  The brake chamber is moving, but the s-cam is not.  The shoes are definitely still contacting the drum.

It looks like I am going to need a tow or a mobile mechanic.  I am still waiting on a call back from Coachnet to see what they suggest.

[robertglines1]

do you have a tag lift?

[Len Silva]

With spring brakes, and particularly on an Eagle without air suspension, any decent truck shop should be able to handle that job.  You don't need a bus garage.

[belfert]

do you have a tag lift?

No, the tags are not liftable or steerable unfortunately.

[belfert]

I'm not planning on looking for a bus garage.

[robertglines1]

can you get to s-cam with any thing(pry bar-hammer&drift pin) and rotate it back.  wonder if it was greased? might actually try that.  or just tap on what you can see and it might release.  or grease and rock back and forth.  just some thoughts.  try any you haven't thought of

[artvonne]

  I really feel for you Brian. I wish I was closer I could come help. I would listen to Bob, get under there and smack that cam with a hammer, and try to get into a truck stop. Probably just dry of grease.

[John316]

Brian,

Give me a call. I just left my number on your phone. I am somewhat local, and might be able to help.

John

[trucktramp]

Had the brakes been applied recently before they set up?  If not then the brake chamber may be getting air sent to it from a bad valve somewhere like if the brake pedal had been depressed for several miles.  You could pull the air line to the chamber to see if this is the case.

If the brakes are cammed over, you should be able to release the cam with a pry bar.  If this is the case, be careful that they don't cam over again.  You could try to back the slack adjuster off and see if that releases the brakes.  If you need to move the bus, you should be able to jack up the axle to get the tire off the ground and chain up the axle.  That will get you to a shop.