How does this work?

[joeT]

I'm in middle of some trailer repairs/maintenance including replacing brake cables. I got myself a cable kit from bias and it includes a replacement pulley.

Can someone tell me how this thing is supposed to be adjusted? I kinda have the idea that you use it to tighten the slack in the cable, but I can't work out how the thumbscrew works (between the two bolts) and what its supposed to do. There are some notches on the thread above and below it that stop it from moving more than a few mm left or right. Any ideas???:helpa::undecided:

[BM]

By turning the thumbwheel you are pulling the pulley end of the adjuster closer to (or away from) the square end which attaches to the brake lever.

The nut at the left hand end of the first pic is captive inside the bracket so thats why turning the thumb wheel changes the length of the adjuster.

When setting up your brakes you want the adjuster set at its longest length. Take up the slack in the system at the caliper end and then the length you have on the adjuster allows for the stretching of the cable over time and also the wearing of the pads.

Cheers

[Chimo]

And JoeT if I can add a reminder to check your rotors for true and if they are not have them machined before you fit the cable. (If they are not machined first its hard to get them adjusted so you get full use of your cable and more importantly if you adjust them up too tight the brakes pads rub on the rotors which transfers heat to the bearings which in turn can suck in water if you back into water before they have cooled down which makes bearings more likely to fail due to water and so it goes.) The above is based on my own experience with a &^%............. trailer that I bought new straight from the factory floor, in fact they even dropped my boat onto the trailer with their overhead crane so it was a really brand new trailer.

Also painting the galvanized cable with thick fish oil before it gets salt water on it will mean you wont have to do all this again for years and years if you wash the brakes off with fresh after each salt drowning.

Even in areas with water restrictions your are allowed to hose off salt from brakes and brake components.

Cheers
Chimo