Rear Brake Replacement

[warrenivan]

We're back..

We're still on our MH hunt.. and looking at another, seemingly very well taken-care of 1981 28' Excella.

We borrowed it from the owner, and had a local mechanic give it a it a good 2 hour inspection. He said that it is overall, in very good condition for it's age.. and that it need new wires, cap, rotor, plugs and possibly a rear break job. He said that it involves dropping the rear axle, which can make it a bit expensive? Is this true?

I did a search on the forums for this and didn't come up with much. Have any of you done this on your MH?

Also, it's rear shocks & bushings are bad (and Aux shocks seem to have been removed), so we were thinking (if we're going to have it up on blocks) of somehow rigging up an air compressor for a custom air suspension system, that would keep them at whatever PSI they needed to be.

Thoughts?

[Airslide]

Hi Warrenivan,

I have never heard of dropping the rear axle to do a brake job? I guess your talking about an 81' 280? The brakes are pretty simple on that rig. Just a matter of replacing the rear pads. Yes, you do have to remove the rear duals by carefully jacking up the coach. This can be done one at a time to keep it extra safe but removing the entire axle.. Hmmm.

The shocks are pretty easy too..

Vinnie

[Smartstream]

That coach should already have rear air suspension with an on board compressor. Also like Vinnie said the rear brakes should be a rather straight forward job. Remove the rear wheels and they are right there. I'm not sour if it has drum or disc brakes. My '82 has disc but I don't know when they changed. I have a '79 manual that shows drums. You can change the shocks without pulling the rear wheels but it is certainly easier if you have the wheels off for the brakes. I can think of no part of the rear suspension that would require removing the rear axle.

Post some pictures if you can and we can identify what you have.

Good luck, Dan

[John H.]

Originally Posted by warrenivan

We're back..

We're still on our MH hunt.. and looking at another, seemingly very well taken-care of 1981 28' Excella.

We borrowed it from the owner, and had a local mechanic give it a it a good 2 hour inspection. He said that it is overall, in very good condition for it's age.. and that it need new wires, cap, rotor, plugs and possibly a rear break job. He said that it involves dropping the rear axle, which can make it a bit expensive? Is this true?

I did a search on the forums for this and didn't come up with much. Have any of you done this on your MH?

Also, it's rear shocks & bushings are bad (and Aux shocks seem to have been removed), so we were thinking (if we're going to have it up on blocks) of somehow rigging up an air compressor for a custom air suspension system, that would keep them at whatever PSI they needed to be.

Thoughts?

It sounds Like a Mis communication ?

Or You need a new mechanic

[Mikethefixit]

I agree. I have never seen a tag axle that had to be removed to replace the brakes. Ya pull the tires and wheels and then the drums and the shoes if Drum brakes are rite there in your face. You can replace the shocks and bushings while ya have the wheels off. I think the guy is trying to scam ya because he thinks you dont know.

[warrenivan]

Thanks guys. Definitely feel clearer on this now. Will keep you posted!

[Keyair]

Does the 28' have a Tag?
If not then maybe the confusion is that it has a Full floating rear axle, and drum brakes.
If so, the axle SHAFT has to be pulled out to get the drum off and get at the rear brakes...

[warrenivan]

Interesting.. I'm not entirely sure.

Originally Posted by Keyair

Does the 28' have a Tag?
If not then maybe the confusion is that it has a Full floating rear axle, and drum brakes.
If so, the axle SHAFT has to be pulled out to get the drum off and get at the rear brakes...

Is that process (assuming I don't have the facilities or know-how to do it myself) expensive?

[Smartstream]

Originally Posted by Keyair

Does the 28' have a Tag?
If not then maybe the confusion is that it has a Full floating rear axle, and drum brakes.
If so, the axle SHAFT has to be pulled out to get the drum off and get at the rear brakes...

The 28' does not have a tag axle. On my '82 it has a Dana 70HD rear axle with disc brake and 10 lug 19.5" dual wheels. It is full floating and the axle shaft is held with 5 bolts. Removal is quite simple, you don't have to jack up or remove the wheels.The rotor is inboard mounted so the hub must be removed to access the rotor. The hub can be removed by jacking the rear, removing the axle shaft and bearing retaining nut, and sliding wheels and hub off as a single unit. It is not necessary to remove the wheels.

I'm not sure if the coach in question has disc or drum brakes as I don't know the year that changed. With drum brakes the drum can be inboard or outboard mounted, I have seen them both ways. Again the hub, drum and wheels can be removed as a unit to access the brakes. I think some of the earlier coaches also used 16.5" wheels so they may also have used a different rear axle. If they are full floating axles, the service is the same.

With either set up brake service is rather simple. The biggest thing is the components weigh more. You do not have to "drop the rear axle" as originally posted.

Cheers, Dan

[Keyair]

Now I know why you are called Smartstream, Dan!

My Suburban has a Corp 14bolt, and my Dodge Van a Dana 70, and both are FF rears, and both drums... and both weigh a TON!
Don't ask me how i KNOW....

[Smartstream]

Originally Posted by Keyair

Now I know why you are called Smartstream, Dan!

My Suburban has a Corp 14bolt, and my Dodge Van a Dana 70, and both are FF rears, and both drums... and both weigh a TON!
Don't ask me how i KNOW....

It's really quite simple in a shop, they use a hydraulic cart something like a mini forllift to take the weight of the wheels/drum and roll the unit off the axle spindle. At home without the cart I used to jack the wheels just off the ground and then I had a sheet of aluminum with a little grease to slide the wheels on. It is very easy with duals because they stand on their own and not try to fall over like a single with a heavy drum hanging on one side.

It's not that I am very smart but rather that I've spent more than a few years getting greasy in truck shops. The Smartstream comes frome the fact that I own two smart cars one of which I occasionaly use to push our Airstream.

Cheers, Dan

[Airslide]

Originally Posted by Smartstream

It's really quite simple in a shop, they use a hydraulic cart something like a mini forllift to take the weight of the wheels/drum and roll the unit off the axle spindle. At home without the cart I used to jack the wheels just off the ground and then I had a sheet of aluminum with a little grease to slide the wheels on. It is very easy with duals because they stand on their own and not try to fall over like a single with a heavy drum hanging on one side.

It's not that I am very smart but rather that I've spent more than a few years getting greasy in truck shops. The Smartstream comes frome the fact that I own two smart cars one of which I occasionaly use to push our Airstream.

Cheers, Dan

Dont let him kid you... he is the smartest guy...

Dan can tell you what wire goes where in the fuse box! Go ahead Dan.. where does the white and black striped wire go?! Where does the yellow wire go? It all looks like spahgetti to me..

[Smartstream]

Originally Posted by Airslide

Dont let him kid you... he is the smartest guy...

Dan can tell you what wire goes where in the fuse box! Go ahead Dan.. where does the white and black striped wire go?! Where does the yellow wire go? It all looks like spahgetti to me..

Come on Vinnie, you know I'm color blind. Besides it's a rats nest, not spahgetti.

Cheers, Dan