WTF on my friggen brakes

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rp23g7

rp23g7

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So, i checked my brakes last week, and the front shoes were down to the rivits, almost scrapping.

So i replaced them today, 10" by 2.5", drums are original, just a slight scoring on both. Wheel Cylinders look good, like they have been replaced within the last few yrs. Master Cyl looks pretty new also.

So i replace the shoes and grease the bearings and put everything back together, and adjust them, and bleed them for good measure, and take it for a drive......and my friggen car makes a immediate left turn when braking. GRRRR. WTH, it stopped ok 30 min before i replaced them.

I took it apart again thinking the wheel cyl was sticking, and had my wife gently press on the brake, the wheel cyl in working good, the springs are not retracting very well but it seems they apply the brakes good. I bop each of the shoes for good measure and put it back together and try again, same thing. Think the shoes need some time to wear into the drums?
 
Drum brakes are a little more work to get right. First make sure they are bleed good especially the right side. next make sure the surfaces are clean on both drums. make sure they are adjusted right.
 
And do only one side at a time so the star wheel does not get mixed up side to side (It will tighten and lock up the brakes instead of self adjust)
 
They seem to be bled good, i and the surfaces look clean to me, and they are adjusted about the same. I will drive it a few days and see what happens
 
For what ever reason your left side is working better than the right. Check the brake adjustment, I use a long screw driver thru the adjuster hole to move the adjuster back and forth to feel how much I can adjust the brakes tighter.
 
slant6/4speed said:
And do only one side at a time so the star wheel does not get mixed up side to side (It will tighten and lock up the brakes instead of self adjust)
Click to expand...

My fronts are non self adjusting. After years of dealing with drum brakes, self adjusting brakes are a oxy moron. I dont think i have ever seen self adjusting brakes that adjusted themselves correctly.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
For what ever reason your left side is working better than the right. Check the brake adjustment, I use a long screw driver thru the adjuster hole to move the adjuster back and forth to feel how much I can adjust the brakes tighter.
Click to expand...

me too, gonna give it a day or so and see what happens.
 
rp23g7 said:
My fronts are non self adjusting. After years of dealing with drum brakes, self adjusting brakes are a oxy moron. I dont think i have ever seen self adjusting brakes that adjusted themselves correctly.
Click to expand...

Your right they never seem to work as represented.
 
Just curious....I've done this before!
Something to look at is do you have the shoes backwards on one side?
If you have a FSM study it closely to see if maybe you installed them correctly or if they are mixed up.
There is a forward shoe and a trailing shoe.
Are the springs in their proper places for sure?
Just a few suggestions.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
 
Dartnut said:
Just curious....I've done this before!
Something to look at is do you have the shoes backwards on one side?
If you have a FSM study it closely to see if maybe you installed them correctly or if they are mixed up.
There is a forward shoe and a trailing shoe.
Are the springs in their proper places for sure?
Just a few suggestions.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...

Hey good point, never assume.
 
there are primary shoes and secondary shoes the primary shoes have more material and always go to the rear of the car the secondary shoes have less and always go to the front of the car, if you put both primary shoes on one side of the car and both secondary shoes on the other side you can bet its gonna pull to one side or the other, lemmi see if I can find them pic's for ya, no biggie many have made this mistake in the past. heres the pic's of one of my brake job's learned these tips and tricks growin up around cars and sharing the knowledge makes our cars and the road safer for everybody so pass em on.
TOP PICTURE THE SECONDARY AN PRIMARY SHOE NAMES ARE IN THE OPPOSITE PLACE SEE LAST PIC FOR PROPER NAMES IN PROPER PLACE

howbrakesrdun1.JPG


howbrakesrdun2.JPG


howbrakesrdun3.JPG


howbrakesrdun4.JPG
 
rp23g7 said:
My fronts are non self adjusting. After years of dealing with drum brakes, self adjusting brakes are a oxy moron. I dont think i have ever seen self adjusting brakes that adjusted themselves correctly.
Click to expand...

In my 30+ years of dealing with drum brakes as long as everything is clean and lubed properly the self adjusters have always done a decent job of keeping the shoes adjusted for me.

From your description I would say you don't have them adjusted evenly, you contaminated the shoes on one side or the shoes aren't contacting the drum evenly.

If you have sharp edges on the shoes like in the picture above you may want to chamfer the edges.
 
Dartnut said:
Just curious....I've done this before!
Something to look at is do you have the shoes backwards on one side?
If you have a FSM study it closely to see if maybe you installed them correctly or if they are mixed up.
There is a forward shoe and a trailing shoe.
Are the springs in their proper places for sure?
Just a few suggestions.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Click to expand...

HMM thinking about it now, on the pulling side, i may have switched the springs. I think i put the long spring on the front, cause i was facing the back of the car putting them on. I gotta check that when i get home.
 
You may want to check or replace your rubber brake lines, if they are original they may be collapse or have some junk in them thats not letting the pressure off when you release the brake pedal.
 
i agree with the adjustment mine where i thought dead then i figured it would help them last a bit longer to get them adjusted at les swchab so ever since no braking issues i didnt even have to change the brake pads yet. 20bucks for all wheels adjusted.
 
And the answer everyone has been waiting for...........................grease on the shoe, oopps. Took it all apart, sanded the shoes, soaked the drums down in gas, put it all back together and adjusted them again and took it for a drive. All Better
 
Ok I put the wrong name to em but look at the pic see the lower ball joint where the tie rod end goes that goes to the rear of the car so I did it right Lol...I was in a hurry to edit the pic's to post for the guy My BaD! :cheers:
green1 said:
The shorter shoe is primary, goes on the front side.
Click to expand...
 
rp23g7 said:
And the answer everyone has been waiting for...........................grease on the shoe, oopps. Took it all apart, sanded the shoes, soaked the drums down in gas, put it all back together and adjusted them again and took it for a drive. All Better
Click to expand...

Well I wish all the problems could be solved this easy. Glad to hear it.
 
Great post Waggin'! I had a brake question myself, and BAM, the answer is already here! I take it the same would apply for the rears?
 
yes will apply to the rears also and almost any car on the planet (almost) Glad the pic's were useful ................pass em along :cheers:
 
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