Drum brake installation troubles...

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Unless I'm wrong...the shoe guide plate is on upsidedown in the last set of pics. You might want to check that. Don't know what, if any, difference it might make!
 
im have in the same problem but i am just going to take a file and work the adjuster groves and if that dont work then i guess ill make one big pipe bomb and blow the h/ll out of it .or drive it with no brakes,never had such problems,this is my first,i can figure out stuff good but forget this,im filing
 
Not trying to highjack the thread..I tried to adjust my brakes and could not turn the Star. Is that cable a lock mechanizm or a auto adjuster?
If an auto adjuster, how do you make them adjust?
 
The cable is an auto adjust. They do not work as well as one would hope for. If the star wheel is not turning, it's one of two things. Either you are trying to turn it the wrong way or it's froze up. I usually take the adjuster apart when doing a brake replacement and clean up the threads and the rotating assembly on the opposite end and apply some never seize.
 
usdart said:
Not trying to highjack the thread..I tried to adjust my brakes and could not turn the Star. Is that cable a lock mechanizm or a auto adjuster?
If an auto adjuster, how do you make them adjust?
Click to expand...

often the adjuster needs to be taken apart and the threads cleaned when they get old and dirty they stick
 
You would need to raise the paw to turn the adjuster inward closing the shoe spacing. To adjust the shoes spacing outward the adjuster should click past the paw as it turns.
 
I re-furbed the drum brakes on my 65 Dart. My rears looked just like photo 67Dart273 posted. I used Autozone's "brake kit" ($7 per side I recall), which has later parts and it then looked exactly like the OP's photo, other than I put the anchor washer on correct and the spring ends pointing down, as others noted. My drums slipped on fine, but they were the old drums. I did have to have the adjusters almost all the way in. I don't know how worn my drums were, but I can see where a new drum might bind.

Instead of turning the drums (rear drums are expensive!), I would just use a flat file on the shoes where the adjuster sits. Should be quick to gain 20 mils clearance there. Most stores now don't even want your old shoes anyway.
 
Seems to me to be safer and cheaper to decrease shoe radius than turn new drums. I have had to take new shoes to a brake shop and have them re-arced. Only cost me a few bucks. (But it still sound like e-brake cable/linkage problem). Good luck with it!
 
I stopped by and helped out ytownxy with a few things on his Demon. While I was there I helped him check the rear brakes. The combination of new drums and a slightly larger adjuster was causing the drum to bind at the bottom. We removed the aduster and everything fit fine. I recommended he remove (grind or file) about 1/16" to and 1/8" off of the ends of the adjuster main body. Don't know if he's had a chance to complete this yet because he had to put the Demon back in storage as he was heading back to college for the year. I'm sure he will post when he reads this.
 
Well once again. wrong brake cables do this. disconect the cable at the lever on the shoe and see if the drum fits. The cables are different for every diam. drum. If the shoes are seated on the top pin and you can't move the shoes from side to side and the adjuster is at its narrow position the drums should go on. The wrong brake cable will stop the shoes from seating against the pin on the top. The parking brake when applied moves the shoes apart at the top away from the pin. If you can move the rear shoe forward and push the front shoe away from the pin or vice versa this is the problem. They should both be against at the same time.
 
I just sold a set of cables to a guy having the same problem when putting a 8 3/4 10 inch drums in a 7 1/4 - 9 inch drum car
 
Oldmanmopar said:
Well once again. wrong brake cables do this. disconect the cable at the lever on the shoe and see if the drum fits.
Click to expand...

Tried removing cables first, that didn't help. And they were not rusted (frozen) either. Plus it was same brake setup and rear as he had before so the cables did not change.
 
I would take the rears apart and temporarily put it back together but do not use the parking brake piece which goes between the 2 shoes and disconnect the cable. Now see if the drum goes on. If so you have a parking brake issue. If not it's something else.
 
67Dart273 said:
Now just wait a minute:

Are you sure you have the right cylinders, or are they original?

Did you check the length of the old/ new adjusters and cylinder push-rods?

Are the drums new or the old ones?

They "should fit." if not, the lining is probably incorrect and oversize.

(The factory did not go around turning out new drums)

I spose in this day and age of quality control issues, anything is possible.
Click to expand...
+1 I can't believe anyone would suggest turning drums as the first option. Sorry but that's just whack. Something else is wrong. Even if it's as minor as the wrong shoes. I would check every part and step of the installation. Comparing each new part to the old one and verifying left and right position of the shoes.
 
With respect to the adjusters, Why not clean, Lube and readjusted the old ones They tend to rust seized and don't move. That would rule out the new adjusters as the culprit. If you're still having trouble and live near Mt airy, NC let me know and I'll come right over.
 
I have been through this with Dorman (China) adjusters being the problem. I used a straight edge on each end of the adjusters at the same time and you could see a big difference and the Dorman's were too long. Took the old adjusters apart, cleaned them up, installed them and the drums went right on. I have been looking at the self adjuster paw between pictures and yours adjuster roller looks further down the paw that it is in the other pictures.
 
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