My trucks a KW also. I think I have seen drums adverised on the e-flyer for KW for about 80 or 90 each. My truck came from Canada it has a lot of rust on the drums. and one of the drive axle brakes would'nt release after appling air to the system. Finally got it to break loose and pulled apart could not belive how much rust and coorison was on the drum. Do you guys run with the dust covers on or off. Heard that the brakes can disapate the heat better with them off.

 

I've never actually seen a dust cover in my entire career. Does anybody run them? Does any new equipment actually come with them?

 

Usually dump trucks have dust covers, to keep out the foreign objects, I don't have them on my KW, most road tractors don't.

The rust on the outside doesn't mean anything, I usually replace the drums every other brake job.

Last Sept I did brakes and drums, I think it was around $125 a wheel, and my own labor, took around 1/2 a day on a Sat.

 

When I worked at Laidlaw they did an experiment with dust covers on and off their trailers. They found they got a third more brake life when they ran dust covers. I run dust covers on everything. Plus if the dOT wants to check your brakes they'll actually have to get down on a creeper as opposed to just peering under the trailer on a walk around.

 

I have dust covers on my 9400, it seems like DOT will have to get on ther ground to check them.

 

most trucks i've ever worked on have them ; i've never seen a new truck without them... ever

now trailers seem to be a little different...

 

I've yet to see a new mack with them :?

I just did brakes on an 8 month old truck today... no dust coveres, re-used the drums took an hour to do the back axle