Western Star brakes poor after break-in

As some of you will have read, Lil Bro's 1999 Western Star 5900ss constellation was broken into and his trailers stolen. This "Old Girl" is his favourite and he is quite upset about it all. They broke the passenger window and got in, and somehow managed to drag the truck forward out of the way without leaving skid marks.
We assumed that they hooked air up to the trailer hoses and pressurised the system, but when we found her there was no air at all (only 8 hiurs after she was moved). Is that actually possible given the valves etc. that control it all?
Then we figured that maybe they had overridden the brake pots with the t-bolt, but they would have had to do every pot if I am not mistaken and some of them don't look to have been tampered with (two don't have the dust caps on, the rest still do) and the bolts are not there and I severely doubt they would have taken the time to remove them after moving the truck.

Anyhow, when Donald moved the truck, it seems that there is now very little braking force. Even parking, it tends to roll forward if on a slope, which ain't good. Is there anything obvious I can check before the gets a mechanic out to work on it? According to his regular driver the brakes were ok when he parked it there so something appears to have been done.

As near as I understand it, the pots have springs in them which hold the brakes on until air pressure forces them back, so I fail to see how this can be unless all of the pads are worn so far that they aren't contacting the drums. On a very quick inspection, I can't see any adjustment of the rods which could have been moved to free them up enough.
She is on our lawn for the moment so I can do some initial tinkering until he is able to get a mechanic out.

Anyone any ideas?

Sounds like they have wound the slack adjuster all the way off
Has the trailer got a yard valve ( U activate to release all brakes with the air still in trailer tank so U can drag the trailer around)
Jist think n out side the square
cya

Sounds like they have wound the slack adjusters off. Make sure it is chocked before you get under it, get full air up, release the spring brakes, wind the slack adjusters on fully with a 9/16 spanner and then back off half a turn.

Man, you Guys and this site rock!!!

I'll check that out next time I get home and it is light enough to work on her.

Well, you Guys were spot on. The adjusters had been backed off. Interesting thing though, how do you back them off? I wound on the first one and got it to bottom out, but I could not go backwards. Is there some trick???
I think the writing on it says "Gunter" or something similar if anybody recognises the unit.
I also found out that one of them is not actually working. Looking through the peep hole there is at least 2-3mm clearance from the shoe to the drum and winding the adjuster makes it come in a little closer, but keep winding and it backs off again I assume this is the cam going over centre. Question is though is there some kind of initial rough adjustment to get it closer? There seems to be plenty of pad, like 3/8" of it that I can see, so it isn't wear. The shaft turns as I adjust the adjuster, so it is not the adjuster itself.
Anyhow, the main issue now is to get the first one I locked up backed off to be able to drive it and get the faulty one fixed. I imagine it would get rather hot if driven how it is...

Glenn.

Just found a vid on Youtube on Gunite adjusters. Looks like I just need to use more grunt to back it off.

I'm you here a bit greenie
But don't forget and it will come to show that all you have to drive is pass a driving test with no mechanical or hands on skills at all

As part of all this I was watching videos on how the braking systems work including the adjusters etc. and it seem in the USA the drivers test includes knowledge of all these systems. Does it not over here?
Just so you understand, I don't drive trucks, I love fixing and learning about things mechanical, have restored a couple bulldozers and countless other engines and mechanical devices but I'll leave driving 30 plus tons around the rest of the crazy road users at 100kph to those skilled and crazy enough...
Know also that I respect those that do and I am one of those rare car drivers that will give a truck every courtesy.

Dont stress M8
az ewe kno n eye kno

2 B a big rig drover all U need is the correct amount of cornflake pkt coupons n u're in

They will then kno how to enter n exit the drivers compartment
Which is the front of lorry comparred to the back
n where the steersman wheel is

greenie U really sho n u're age
playn n know n wots under n over the truck
days R gorn of think n of the 6 sides to a beast

LOL
cya

M80

RE: don't know how to at least adjust a bloody brake
sum places they dun want drovers mess n with any thing on there Lorry specially brakes

Coz a little bit of knowledge can B dangerous

cya