I have the Dexter self adjust.According to Dexter maintence and service manual they will adjust on both forward and reverse stops.Manual is available on line and if you fill out request they will send hard copy very quickly.
Bobby,
I got them standard on my 2011 BH. If I adjust my Prodigy brake controller to the point where it seems like I'm getting decent stopping from highway speeds, they are so "grabby" at stop and go speeds in traffic that it jerks the rig severely and is VERY annoying. So When I'm stuck in traffic at slow speeds, I have to back off on the Prodigy setting. Then when I hit the highway, I have to dial it up again, or I have very little stopping capability. Very frustrating.
If I had my druthers, I would get hydraulic discs.
I put them on my Shenandoah and they seem to be working ok.
A friend put them on his Big Horn and he found them to adjust too tightly causing the drums to get too hot. He took them off and put the originals back on.
I would simply disconnect the auto adjust feature and adjust manually if they became a problem.
I don't have self adjusters but I have to admit I've thought about them. After hearing of others experience, maybe not. I usually do bearing maintenance annually and clean and adjust the brakes at that time and have never adjusted them between and so far regular brakes have been fine.
I'm dazed and confused again. This is not the first time I've read stuff concerning self-adjusters on drum brakes. I've got 35 years experience teaching automotive and when this topic first came up here I was shocked. I am amazed that trailers don't come with self adjusting brakes (SAB). They have been around for 40 plus years and they work great. The only problem I ever had with SAB's was if the owner neglected them on the first brake job. On cars with front discs and rear drums the fronts last about 35-K to 45-K. Because of the weight shift towards the front the rears usually go about twice that amount. So around 70-K to 90-K you have to do the rear shoes. If at that time you replace everything (shoes, springs & self-adjusters) they are good to go for another 70-K plus miles. That was my experience with drums. The adjusters work, if they need to, every time you backup and stop. They physically can not under any circumstances over tighten the shoes. Why??? The shoes shift each time you back-up and stop. If they shift enough then they will adjust out one star wheel notch and no more. If the shoes don't shift enough then no adjustment takes place. They are fool proof as long as they're not neglected (90-K miles with no TLC). If something breaks or fails they still can not over adjust the shoes. It's physically impossible. If a spring breaks (seldom happens), they need serviced. If something about the self-adjuster breaks they can be manually adjusted.
Disc brakes are also self-adjusting but it takes place because of the Square cut rubber seal that is around the piston. It distorts upon application and when it relaxes and becomes square again it pulls the piston back about .005 which reduces pad pressure.
Something else bothers me about trailer wheel bearings. Why is it that we can go 40-60-K miles or more on cars and trucks but only 6-K 12-K or annually on TT bearings?? Are we overloading the bearings or are the manufacturer's trying to save a few bucks so they put undersized bearings and recommend that we have to pack them every year and check for damage?? I can't believe that axle companies are so cheap that they put smaller than necessary bearing on their units. If they put the correct bearings and we don't overload the units they should be good to go for many, many miles. Well at least longer than an annual pack and adjust.
Just my 1 - cent worth.
TeJay