How to Loosen Self-Adjusting Brakes

Updated 04/07/2025 | Published 03/27/2019

Products Featured in This Question

etrailer Electric Trailer Brakes - Self-Adjusting - 10" - Left/Right Hand Assemblies - 3.5K

(3251)

$154.09

Brake Adjustment Spoon for Drum Brakes

(224)

$11.04

Question:

Bought these brakes a few month back. Installed yesterday right side is fine. The first one on left I did when I adjusted it went too much too tight. Now can’t get loose. Can’t even get wheel to spin even with the tire on. No matter how much I try with the tool it just ain’t budging. On left side what is proper direction to loosen? Is it up with the tool or down?

asked by: Joe

Expert Reply:

It is possible to loosen up how tight your Self-Adjusting Electric Trailer Brake Kit # AKEBRK-35-SA but it is a little difficult to do, mainly due to lack or room for working. You can potentially remove your hub to make loosening the brake a bit easier but I recommend trying to adjust them from the access holes first.

With the plugs removed, use your brake adjustment spoon # W80630 or a flat screwdriver to press down on the silver tab (yellow arrow) that keeps the wheel (green arrow) in place. With that pressed down used another spoon or screwdriver and rotate the wheel upwards (from the backside), or the same direction that the green arrow is pointing. This will loosen up your brakes and you can then adjust them as necessary for your application.

expert reply by: Jon G

click to enlarge

Paul

3/15/2025

Hi Jon, You say to "rotate the wheel upwards (from the backside), or the same direction that the green arrow is pointing" but the green arrow is pointing downwards. Can you clarify?

Jon G.

3/15/2025

@Paul Absolutely! Pictures can be a bit confusing, but the reason why I made the green arrow point downwards is because we are looking at the wheel from the front side of the brake assembly. If you think about looking at that wheel from the other side of the assembly (the back side) you will be trying to spin that wheel upwards. Hopefully that explanation helps!

Todd

4/6/2025

@JonG I would like to expand a little bit on the process. I bought a new trailer in 2023. When I rolled of the lot I basically had zero brakes. It was already late leaving the dealer so I decided to take it easy an adjust the brakes as soon as I got home. So I get home and jack the first tire off the ground. My normal process is to tighten it until it stops and then back it off. So at some point it's so tight I can't turn it anymore. This is about the time I realize they are self adjusting. So I watched a video and no matter what I do to the tab (even stuck awl between it and the wheel) it's not moving. Now I have a 35 ft trailer stuck in front of my driveway. As a last resort (should have done it first) I get my cheap videoscope. I can see well enough that I noticed the magnet is low enough that it is actually stopping the wheel from turning in the reverse direction. Stuck a flat tip screwdriver between the magnet and adjuster and was done in about a minute. It took 2 hours on the first one and 5 minutes for the rest. But the first one almost made me lose my mind.

Jon G.

4/7/2025

@Todd Thank you for the additional insight! The more we hear about different experiences, the more we learn and are better equipped for things in the future!