Brakes fail.
We fix them where they sit.
Brake adjustment, chambers, slack adjusters, S-cams, drums and air leaks — repaired at the roadside, in your yard, or at the inspection facility. Brakes are the number one reason a truck gets placed out of service. They're also the most common thing we fix.
Brake Safety Week is coming
CVSA has scheduled Brake Safety Week for August 23–29, 2026, and there's a second, unannounced one-day brake enforcement push that can land any time. Inspectors pull trucks, measure pushrod stroke, and write out-of-service orders on the spot. Get the brakes looked at before that week, not during it. CVSA's campaign page has the official dates.
Air brake work, on site
Everything below gets done where the truck is. No tow, no shop appointment, no waiting three days for a bay to open up.
- Brake adjustment & pushrod stroke
- Brake chambers & spring brakes
- Slack adjusters, manual & automatic
- S-cams, bushings & rollers
- Drums, shoes & linings
- Air lines, fittings & leaks
- Valves & air system faults
- ABS lights & wheel speed sensors
- Wheel seals & bearings
- Trailer brakes & wheel ends
"Out of adjustment" isn't a judgment call
Brake adjustment is measured, not eyeballed. An inspector chalks the pushrod, has the brakes applied, and measures how far the rod travels. Past the limit for that chamber size, the brake counts as defective. Enough defective brakes on the vehicle and the truck is out of service — right there, in the lane.
Three things put trucks out that most drivers never see coming:
The automatic that quit
Automatic slack adjusters are not maintenance-free. They corrode, they seize, and when one stops taking up travel the brake runs long while everything looks fine from the outside. Backing it off by hand hides it for a day and it comes right back.
Mismatched adjusters
Two different slack adjusters on the same axle is a defect on its own, regardless of how well either one is working. It happens when somebody replaces one side with whatever was on the shelf.
Air loss you can't hear
An inspector listens for leakage with the system charged and the brakes applied. A leak that's quiet in a noisy yard is obvious at a scale house with the engine off.
If you're already tagged, the repair happens at the facility. Here's how the San Onofre rescue works.
Thirty years of brake jobs
RES Heavy is Russell Schwartz — master diesel technician, 30+ years on trucks and heavy equipment, factory trained by Caterpillar, Cummins and Isuzu.
Brakes, wheel seals and bearings, S-cams and drums are bread-and-butter work here, on tractors and trailers both. Years of DOT and CHP compliance work means knowing exactly what an inspector measures and what he needs to see before he'll release you.
The person who answers the phone is the person who shows up. Call or text (949) 254-4518.
Brake questions
Can a mobile mechanic adjust brakes at the roadside?
Yes. Brake adjustment, chamber replacement, slack adjusters, S-cams, drums and air leaks are all repairs RES Heavy does where the truck sits — roadside, in a yard, or at the inspection facility. Call (949) 254-4518.
Why did my automatic slack adjuster stop adjusting?
Automatic slack adjusters are not maintenance-free. They seize from corrosion and lack of grease, and when one stops taking up travel the brake runs long while everything looks normal from outside. Manually backing it off hides the problem instead of fixing it. The adjuster needs to be diagnosed and usually replaced.
Can I drive a truck with one bad brake chamber?
No. A defective brake on a steer axle, or enough defective brakes across the vehicle, will put you out of service on the spot, and a chamber that is leaking or has a broken spring can fail completely. If a chamber is bad, get it replaced before the truck moves.
How much does mobile brake repair cost?
It depends on what is wrong and how many wheel ends are involved. RES Heavy tells you what it will cost before any work starts, not after. Call (949) 254-4518 and describe what the truck is doing and we will give you a straight number.
Brakes dragging, grabbing, or tagged?
Call or text and we'll get moving. A photo of the wheel end or the inspection report speeds everything up.