Brake problem, need help, non Mopar

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Denvermike

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I know I know the fact that it is not a Mopar is the problem. I still need help. I replaced the rear shoes on my 99 Ford E-150 van. The O.D. of the shoes is too big to fit inside the drum. I have double checked the installation. The parking brake is off. The star adjuster is screwed in all the way. The drum has been on the van since I have had it, about 13-14 years. I checked with the monkeys at the parts store, their computer shows I have the right part. The Boss won't be back in till Monday of course.
I have never heard of this!! Any ideas ?
Mike
 
Check the inside of the drum all the way out by the diff side to see how much rust has built up over the years. Many times you have to knock that high spot down in order to get them on new shoes. I have used a whizz wheel, cup wire brush in a drill, Etc.
 
Take your old shoes and lay them side by side against your new shoes, verify that all holes & ect. line up. Look at bonded or riveted areas (shoe material) and see if it looks to match.
 
Check all contact points make sure there's not too much paint and the parts didn't grow from the paint
 
Are they hitting on the whole length of the shoe or just the ends? I have had to dress the ends on some shoes to get the drum on.
 
Perhaps the apply pistons/pins are not fully retracted in the wheel cylinders, Sometimes rust develops inside them and the pistons do not fully retract. You may have to disassemble them and hone them out.
 
On my 65 Dart, I had to re-use the old adjusters to get the rear drums over the new shoes, and that was a worn drum. Others here have reported similar. As mentioned, insure the wheel cylinders aren't holding the shoes out. They should be bottomed out against the stops, w/ the cylinder pushers loose.
 
If your master cylinder is full and sealed, the fluid in the wheel cylinders cant return to the reservoir. You may have to suction 50 or more ccs out, to allow room for the returning fluid.
 
I know you say the emergency brake is off,, but if it has been adjusted incorrectly,, or one of the cables has a restricted movement, it'll stop the emerg brake lever from returning enuff to relax the strut..

Take one of the return springs off,, and remove the solid cross strut, re-install the return spring, make sure the shoes are seated,, and retry the drum,, if it now fits,, then something in the emerg brake cables or the emerg cable adjuster,, is keeping the emerg brake from completely returning enuff to release..
 
I had a similar issue on my Durango once. Ended up finding that the friction material on the shoes extended too far towards the top of drum. Drum would install but when I rotated the drum it would drag bad. Then I noticed the drum was marking the top couple inches of the shoe friction. Pulled them off and laid them beside the old for comparison, sure enough the friction on the old shoes was shorter and didn't extend towards the top as far. Everything was new drums hardware etc. Took the shoes back to autozone and all they had in stock were the same. Ended up going to Napa, went together like it should. I had even disconnected the emergency brake because I thought it might be holding them up.
 
Dubob said:
I had a similar issue on my Durango once. Ended up finding that the friction material on the shoes extended too far towards the top of drum. Drum would install but when I rotated the drum it would drag bad. Then I noticed the drum was marking the top couple inches of the shoe friction. Pulled them off and laid them beside the old for comparison, sure enough the friction on the old shoes was shorter and didn't extend towards the top as far. Everything was new drums hardware etc. Took the shoes back to autozone and all they had in stock were the same. Ended up going to Napa, went together like it should. I had even disconnected the emergency brake because I thought it might be holding them up.
Click to expand...

It does happen, that's what I ran into, it wasn't too much longer but just enough. I just dressed it down and it went together.
 
Bad Sport said:
It does happen, that's what I ran into, it wasn't too much longer but just enough. I just dressed it down and it went together.
Click to expand...

Hi Bruce, the ones I had were a couple inches longer on the friction. Funny thing was autozone manager didn't seem to care about fixing the problem so I just got my money back.
 
inertia said:
I know you say the emergency brake is off,, but if it has been adjusted incorrectly,, or one of the cables has a restricted movement, it'll stop the emerg brake lever from returning enuff to relax the strut..

Take one of the return springs off,, and remove the solid cross strut, re-install the return spring, make sure the shoes are seated,, and retry the drum,, if it now fits,, then something in the emerg brake cables or the emerg cable adjuster,, is keeping the emerg brake from completely returning enuff to release..
Click to expand...
I have the same exact van. Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it.
I did my rear brakes a few months ago and Inertia is right. I had to back off my parking brake adjustment to get the drums on.
 
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