88 LX Brake Problems (Fading...)

[91fiveohnotch]

Hey guys even since iv been daily driving my stang ive noticed that whn i go for the brakes and press em its soft at top and ive got to press it ohh id say a couple more inches to get them to work and then once im on them they start to gradually fade until im about 3 inches from the floor. I took the drums off today to inspect and a metal piece fell out, i asked my neighbor whos a mechanic, he said its the self adjuster locker. Also i noticed on one side that little adjuster in between the two shoes on the bottom one was adjusted so that you could se threads but the other you couldnt. But anyways after putting it all back together ( the left side wouldnt go on i needed to hammer it on while the right side slid on no problem) i drove around and the fade is even worse. Now it fades really quick all the way down to 2 inches from floor. Im just wondering whats up here. are my drums just really outta adjustment, is my master cylinder cooked or is there air in the lines???? please help guys!! thanks

 

[Mustang5L5]

Well, #1, have someone who knows drum brakes take a look. Unfortunately i cant help here as the only time i messed with drums was when i chucked them in the trash and put disks on.

#2, inspect for leaks...esp at the wheel cylinders. (although it sounds mechanical issues in the drum might be your prob)

#3, bleed the brakes. This should be done every 1-2 years. Most people i know never do this

 

[banzaibullitt]

Are your brake adjusters clean and do they thread in and out easily? Your shoes should be adjusted so that the drum just barely rubs on the shoes when you turn the axle. You shouldn't have to hammer the drum on.

 

[91fiveohnotch]

hey guys I figured it out. Both sides were totally out of wack. it was so far out that the brakes were constantly rubbing and the other side were so far in that they were literally doing nothing