Troubleshooting Uneven Wear on Friction Pads for Reese Steadi-Flex Weight Distribution System

Updated 06/16/2020 | Published 06/14/2020

Question:

I set my 66560 up according to the instructions. Truck is level,trailer is also. My pads are breaking away in small pieces on the front edge.It seems like all the pressure is on the front leading edge. Backs of the pads are still like new. I purchased it 8or 9 months ago, I have yet to take a trip with it due to working all the time. I have only driven it back and forth 3 times from storage. Maybe a total of 20 miles at most. What should I look for to correct this before my pads are gone? Thank you for your time

asked by: Sandy W

Helpful Expert Reply:

The pads on the Reese Steadi-Flex # RP66560 systems are designed to wear down over time which is why the Replacement Friction Pad Kit # RP58527 exists, however you should be experiencing fairly even wear so if just one end is wearing down then some adjustments need to be made.

If you check out step 31 in the linked instructions (see attached photo) it calls for adjusting the friction pads so that they settle flat against the spring bars. If you haven't been doing that when hitching up to your trailer then that would explain why you're seeing excessive wear on one end of the pads. Another customer actually had this same experience which you can see in the attached photo they submitted.

Please note that if you need to make some more slight adjustments that's totally fine. Basically if you can get your tow vehicle ride height within 1" of the stock height you're in good shape.

expert reply by: Jon G