Ford Cargo Horsebox - 'Sharp' brakes

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WWPR

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We have just purchased a F Reg Ford Cargo 7.5ton Horsebox.

Has anyone else ever found the brakes on these to be a bit 'sharp' and sudden to carry horses in? I was intrigued as to whether the sensitivity of these could be adjusted by a mechanic?

If anyone has any experience on this, any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Have a look at the LS valve and see whether it is corroded. Mine stuck in 1 position over last winter.

What was the brake effort on each axle when it was plated? Show the rolling road print-out to your mechanic and he should be able to decide whether it needs work or not.
 
I have a C reg Cargo 811. The brakes were sharp and sudden, so it was difficult to give the horses a good ride. The guy who does servicing etc and organises the Mot for me, said its a commom problem with these older 811 lorries. But he'd try to sort it. Bless him, he did and it gives them a smooth ride now.
Are you in south Bristol area ?
 
I used to have incredibly sharp brakes on my 811 - at the beginning of a trip if you put the brakes on you honestly thought the horses would be joining you in the cab....!

I've had it a few years now and each time it was serviced was told there was nothing that could be done, but I took it to a new bloke this last year, and he adjusted them somehow and they're now fine.

I don't know what he did, but I just thought I'd let you know that it is possible to do something even if mechanics telll you it isn't!!!!
 
Cargo breaks are normally the self adjusting type, they can over adjust or underadjust from what I remember when I had break problems a couple of months ago, one had adjusted and one hadn't so mechanic readjusted them as it was pulling to one side slightly on breaking.
 
Yes its oftern a sign the brakes need adjusting, they will still work well enough to pass the mot.. what happens is because there is to big a gap between the drum and the shoes so when the brakes are applied they grab.. so you need someone to remove the drums, clean every thing and carefully reajust
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We've got one of these and yes the brakes are very sharp. Didn't know they could be adjusted - ours has been like that for years! You do get used to it and it can be useful in an emergency - as long as your partitions are good. Yesterday some twit pulled out in front of us from the left and then stopped dead to turn right on one of those offset juntions and I really though we wouldn't stop in time. The horses (we had 3 on) were thrown against the partitions but everyone kept their feet and thanks to padding etc were fine.
 
I don't know anything about trucks, but I am a fair mechanic.

If the truck has DRUM brakes (and I guess most trucks do), especially on the front, then there is an old trick where you get your mechanic to chamfer the leading edge of the brake shoe, also as suggested, get the shoes adjusted so they are as close to the drum as possible / sensible. It is the shoes being pulled onto the drum that makes the brakes 'snap' on.
 
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