New to automatic slack adjusters. Any adjustment neccesary?

Their is a pin you have pop out to back off self adjusting slack adjusters. I have seen lots of guy not pop the pin out but that what stopped it from backing out. You can man handle it and turn it but it not the best thing in my opinion.

You can see the pin in your top picture you need a screw driver or some to hold pin out to back them off. It been so long since I seen a manual slack adjusters but they don't have that pin.

 

One way is to take a 7/8 or 15/16 open end wrench and put it between the clevis and the brake chamber. Put the side of the wrench against the chamber mounting bolt and pry the clevis away from the chamber. You do not want more than about an inch ( brakes cold ) and if it runs on out several inches you definitely have a problem. Do not want them tighter than a 1/2 inch.
Your slacks a Rockwells. They have an adjustment screw on them that is 5/16 square. A 3/8's 12 point will fit them if they are not mucked up. They normally turn CCW to tighten. You can check the travel and adjust them up a bit just to keep them tuned up.
They also have a lock paw with what looks like a 3/4 inch bolt head on it. If you want it back the brakes off it needs to be removed or the center stem spraged ( there are tools for that ). You can do this and adjust them like manual slacks.If the brakes are forced to be backed off without doing this it will strip out the paw. That will allow the adjustment to back off a little each time the brakes are applied. Repeated offences can damage the slack adjuster.

 

I use side cutters to hold the pawl out. Way easier than screwing around with a screwdriver.

 

The little tool they make for that style sure makes life easy.

Also, putting manual slack adjusters on a truck that came from the factory with autos is a no no in the book of Mr. Smokey Bear.

IIRC it was 97 or 98 when they became mandatory? Someone else could probably chime in with the exact date.

 

Oct 1994, and you are correct, you cannot retrograde to manuals.

 

Here you go, these are the tools you need, much easier than screwing around with a wrench and a screwdriver... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000J4NM7U/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I carry mine in the truck.

 

You can adjust them almost the same way as the manuals. You'll need an 8 point socket to fit the square adjusting head.

The key difference is that you'll need a flat screwdriver to wedge under the button that you see on the left side of your picture so that you can release the locking pawl and back it off to where you want it. If you don't release the pawl before you back it off, you'll likely break it completely if you can even get it to turn.

 

An 8 point socket and flat screwdriver always worked fine for me.

 

The tool is nice because it won't fall out like a screwdriver will. That one is a lot less expensive than my set probably was from a white truck with red writing on it.