Foretravel Owners' Forum

I want to grease the coach myself as I have an air compressor and air-powered grease gun with which I grease my antique Fords. The diagram in the 2001 owner's manual leaves something to be desired.

The items to be greased with NGLI-2 EP grease are:

1.   Tie rod (1 fitting each end)
2.   Disc brake caliper slide rails
3.   Kingpins (2 fittings each side)
4.   Drag link (1 fitting each end)
5.   Steering gear input shaft
6.   Steering column extension (3 fittings)
7.   Universal joints
8.   Propeller shaft spline
9.   Disc brake caliper (3 fittings each brake)

I found most of these fittings, wiped them clean but have a few questions before I begin.

#2 above:  Is this something you just wipe off and then apply fresh grease to?

#6 above:  I can't find the steering column extension!  What do I look for?

#9 above:  I find three fittings on each brake. Two are located on top of the caliper - one near the middle and the other at the inside (near the "turkey leg" actuating arm). The third fitting is at the top of the actuating arm.  I notice a drain plug at the bottom of this arm.

The manual warns against lubricating the automatic adjusters.  Are any of these fittings related to the automatic adjuster?  If I had to guess, it would be the one on the top of the actuating arm. Is this correct?

I am aware clay-based grease should be used for the automatic adjuster.  Also Foretravel recommends this lubrication should be left to qualified personnel.  I believe this is only required when replacing brake pads.

Thank you for advice and help.

Robert

Rob:

Please read this Meritor brake manual cover to cover:



Do not grease the caliper itself with the wrong grease. This was done to mine by a shop and it was very expensive to have the calipers purged and re-greased with the correct grease.  Shops will tell you SURE, we work on air brakes, bring it on in...but most have no clue how to service Meritor brakes. I finally found a shop where I was able to go in and go through the Meritor manual page by page with the service tech. Finally after 2 years of problems I got my brakes straightened out.

Also, there is a purge procedure that must be followed after greasing that relieves the pressure inside the caliper. This was not done by the first shop, and on the way home from the shop my rear brakes started smoking due to the pads dragging.

It is not recommended to lubricate the slide pins with anything but a thin spray of silicone.

What looks like a drain plug on the actuator arm is a cap holding in the spring loaded pawl pin. This pawl pin must be either held open (if of this type) or removed to completely back off the caliper - required to purge the grease. After slack re-adjustment, the brakes will auto-adjust again.

Here is more on the Meritor clay grease. This available to order online - PN A1779W283.

Brake Maintenance [ForeForums Foretravel Motorcoach Wiki] (https://wiki.foreforums.com/doku.php?id=technical:brakes:maintenance)

Thanks Peter

I'll use the silicon spray and leave the 3 caliper fittings on each wheel alone.

This is the challenge when taking a Foretravel in for a standard oil change service package that includes chassis greasing. I had specifically put in my work order to NOT grease the brakes. But, a night shift tech did the chassis greasing, and guess what, he greased all the brakes anyway...
I have heard some owners hang a wire tag on the brake zerks when bringing in for service.

Have the brakes greased properly every 100K miles of service.  Grease the rest of the coach every 6 months.  My steering column has two grease points with zerk fittings, one above the steering gear accessible through the front street side compartment when the steering wheel is turned to a certain position.  The other fitting can be found at the bottom of the steering column inside the coach.  I can't imagine that fitting ever needing to be greased since it is protected from the weather.

Barry Leavitt (Barry and Cindy) recommended putting a tie wrap around each of the caliper zerk fittings, so they could not be accidentally greased by an enthusiastic tech.

Watch this video AND stay in a Holiday Inn Express and you should be able to grease your calipers if needed.... ::)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N-St4Px8cs