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8 BREAKING-IN A NEW TRAILER 8.1 RETIGHTEN LUG NUTS AT FIRST 10, 25 & 50 MILES Wheel lugs can shift and settle quickly after being first assembled, and must be checked after the first 10, 25 and 50 miles of driving. Failure to perform this check may result in a wheel coming loose from the trailer, causing a crash leading to death or serious injury. Improper tightening of the lug nuts voids the axle warranty. Refer to the Inspection, Service and Maintenance section of this manual. ! WARNING Lug nuts are prone to loosen after being first assembled. Death or serious injury can result. Check lug nuts for tightness on a new trailer, and after remounting a wheel at 10, 25 and 50 miles. 8.2 ADJUST BRAKE SHOES AT FIRST 200 MILES Brake shoes and drums experience a rapid initial wear. The brakes must be adjusted after the first 200 miles of use, and each 3,000 miles thereafter. Some axles are fitted with a mechanism that will automatically adjust the brake shoes. Read your axle and brake manual to see if your brakes adjust automatically. If you do not have the axle and brake manual, contact your dealer for assistance. If your trailer is not fitted with automatically adjusting brakes, the brakes will need to be manually adjusted. See section 10.2.1.4, “Manually Adjusting Brake Shoes,” for instructions. 8.3 SYNCHRONIZING THE BRAKE SYSTEMS Trailer brakes are designed to work in synchronization with the brakes on the tow vehicle. When the tow vehicle and trailer braking systems are synchronized, both braking systems contribute to slowing, and the tongue of the trailer will neither dive nor rise sharply. ! WARNING If trailer and tow vehicle brakes do not work properly together, death or serious injury can occur. Road test the brakes in a safe area at no more than 30 m.p.h. before each tow. To insure safe brake performance and synchronization, read and follow the axle/brake and the brake controller manufacturers’ instructions. If you do not have these instructions, contact your dealer for assistance. 133


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