Just finished brake job on coach, Replaced pads rear caliper pins and added helper springs, I started this because it did not seem to stop as well as I thought it would and the spring brakes did not hold very well specially backwards, I started with Foretravel on pads and they said Meritor pads Kit 15625PM is what they use on Foretravels forever, then I got # off the differential Mod# RS21-145NFCF254
and Meritor said it should be KIT 15627PM for trucks Mike Grimes said to use the 25 #, Friend of mine has a truck service and he said the 27# pads are more aggressive for trucks, My coach seems to stop a little better but spring brake still doesn't work as well as I would like on a hill backwards it still wants to roll, I will seat brakes in and see if that helps. Any thoughts?
When the brakes are cold my coach will move backwards with the parking brake on and in reverse at idle. My 1996 Monaco Sig. did the same thing and had the same Meritor brakes When I replaced the pads on it there was no change. The brakes on my FT. looked new when I checked them at 93,000 mi. Rolling backwards on a hill in neutral with brake on is a different story, maybe they will wear in and grip better.
Any brake pad has to be broken in or bedded. Period. Just a fact of life. It will require getting the vehicle up to a reasonable speed on a empty road and applying the brakes somewhat heavily to get good results. This and only this will improve your braking performance. Improvement will only come with use, up to a point of overuse. In other words brand new brake pad are shitty for while until they are bedded.
While you are spending this kind of money, replace the brake chambers also...one or both may have a weak or broken spring. They are not that expensive.
Ralph
96 U270
The spring brakes cans are 20 years old and it's just ready to turn 100k so maybe I will change them. What is the correct size of spring brake and part # and a part # for caging tool.
Art your caging tool should be on the side of the cans, the rest of the info is on the can itself #30 long stroke I think.