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  1. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Howdy! Yep, Betts of Sacramento. They seem to specialize in brakes and service, but were willing to take my rig across the street for diagnosis of any transmission issues (but didn't need to in the end), and they took my drums to another shop to have the alignment checked. They have been...
  2. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Hi! Thanks for asking :) And yes -- more or less: Betts diagnosed everything properly for me, and found nothing wrong except one of the front drums is slightly warped. The manual says that within certain tolerances, the drums can be resurfaced no more than 3 times. Since the warped drum...
  3. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    I met with a tow truck driver to successfully move the rig to Betts in Sacramento, and the shop I was moving it from said that the shaking under braking was from the front end, and not the rear as I was originally told by the service desk, but that they had since repacked all the front bearings...
  4. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    I originally bought it with a plan to drive to the tip of South America (before COVID made borders more challenging), which does have some extremeley high altitude sections... there are roads in Chile and Argentina above 20,000ft. At best that trip is extremely delayed (not only by the...
  5. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Hi Sitec, I'm also leaning towards warped drums and/or bent shoes being the problem given the circumstances that led to the issue. Interesting how you describe letting the air out will let the shoes contact the drum and lead to this issue as everything cools unevenly though. Also the diesel...
  6. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Hi Roger, 1224 is definitely a better chassis than the 1017, especially if you have a turbo and plan to be able to cold start at high altitude. Since buying mine, I've learned that a good rule of thumb is that you really want at least 20hp per ton... prior to the habitat refurb, I was north of...
  7. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Thanks for the manuals link. Purchased! I don't have a windows machine, but I have some intel macs in the loft which I can probably get Windows installed onto, and in the worst case any decent shop will have suitable laptops that can run it. Super useful :) I'm also far from a mechanic, but I...
  8. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    That's very kind of you to offer, thanks. I'll keep in touch as I try to work with the shop that has my truck to get a better diagnosis. Betts truck parts has a shop in Sacramento too, so that's a useful contact to have, thanks! All the 30+ year old leaf packs on mine were completely...
  9. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Yes I was with the truck for the tow, parking lever was in the off position, the red hydraulic pressure light was off on the dash, and there was no squealing as the tow truck started pulling. Buuut... I agree that the likely cause is from foot and/or parking brake not being properly disengaged...
  10. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    No, that is great to know. I'll be very happy to never have to go through this again, should I ever need to be towed in future. I had the shop do that already, but from there they couldn't figure out what parts need repair or replacement. I'm worried that they are just being lazy and don't...
  11. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Hi Neil, Thanks for the advice! Yes, I was up and down mountain roads using foot and air brakes with no issues until the break down. And AFAIK (from the refurb shop who test drove it after replacing the dead batteries) the shaking is from the rear of the truck, and no warning lights on the...
  12. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Left a voice mail, thank you!
  13. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Thanks for the advice. Considering the severe shaking, I'm almost certain that the distance will not be .7mm... how do I tell wether the drums are warped, shoes are misaligned, whether they can be adjusted or need resurfacing or replacing after that?
  14. gvvaughan

    Where to service drum brakes on 1989 MB 1017A?

    Plea for help.... Short version: Truck is stuck in the Sacramento area, but shakes uncontrollably when foot brakes are applied. Any clues for who can help diagnose what parts to order and then fit very very much appreciated! Long version: After an overly long box refurb in Sacramento, CA I had...
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