Help with drum brakes again...

[Mavrick]

I just finished my drivers side drums yesturday.. but i'm not sure they turned out right.

The front pad (towards front of car) does not sit where it's supposed to.. i've included a couple pics to show you what im talking about.

Is this normal, or is something messed up? I have the white and green springs mixed up.. i swapped them to see if it would make a difference, but i got the same thing.

the way they sit

the way they're supposed to sit

 

[93 LX]

Did you adjust the self adjuster all the way in. Its the star looking thing on the bottom of the drum brake shoes. Also maybe Iam wrong but I thought the front shoe was larger then the rear. Anyway there is a oval spring that is suppose to be on the cross bar under the slave cylinder. On my kit it was white.

-a

 

[Mavrick]

No i didn't put the adjuster all the way in, but i'll do that.

I didn't get a spring for the cross bar with my kit.. the old ones were junk, is that spring really necessary?

 

[rod_351]

check the emergency brake lever behind the front pad sometimes they get hung up and thats what causes the front pad to shoot forward like that, reason being that is how the system works with the drum on it.

 

[hllon4whls]

No i didn't put the adjuster all the way in, but i'll do that.

I didn't get a spring for the cross bar with my kit.. the old ones were junk, is that spring really necessary?

Dood, you are so needy! j/k

The spring placement looks good from a glance. Just adjust as mentioned and physically push the shoes inward with your hands. It is not hard to push.


Did you use 1 short and 1 long shoe on that side? Cant ever remember which one goes to the front and which goes to the back.

 

[PRO50SC]

Dood, you are so needy! j/k

The spring placement looks good from a glance. Just adjust as mentioned and physically push the shoes inward with your hands. It is not hard to push.


Did you use 1 short and 1 long shoe on that side? Cant ever remember which one goes to the front and which goes to the back.

The smaller shoe(primary) goes to the front of the car, the shoe w/ the larger lining goes to the rear(secondary shoe).

 

[-86GTStang]

Front and back..

Hay there, The small pad in front, and the large one in rear. Yes, you need all the springs installed! Loosen up the adjuster as mentioned, and the drums should slide on easely. DO REMEMBER TO RUB DOWN/ REMOVE THE OLD SURFACE OF THE DRUMS-INSIDE !!! (if you are using the old drums..)

 

[hllon4whls]

Looks like everyone has you covered here.

BTW if you are not in a rush, give that thing the krylon touch. High temp would be best, but a can of 97 cent satin or semi gloss would do wonders for the whole thing!

 

[HISSIN50]

hey Mav, ny two cents worth: if the plug is still in there in the backing plate, now is a good time to remove it, making adjusting the e-brake much easier (allows you to access it from the pumpkin side of the backing plate). nice for when the shoes are half worn and the "automatic" adjuster is AWOL. some cars have them already removed, some still have the factory metal tab in there. the kit might include two rubber replacements.

on other drums ive done, i compress the wheel cylinder as far as it will go. then i wiggle the shoes around so that they fit right and the drum goes on square.

i always hit stuff that looks like that with a wire brush, rust converter, and rustoleum.

good luck, Mav.

 

[Mavrick]

I have the shoes on right.. big one at the rear, short one at the front. I tried pushing the front shoe so it fits where it's supposed to, but the top spring pulls it back out of place. This side (driver) is all together just like the passenger side (still intact), except i don't have the one small spring on the cross bar that holds the two shoes apart.

HISSIN50, the backing pieces are off, and i have replacements so i can adjust the adjuster later on. Maybe ill try compressing that cylinder, hopefully the shoe will fit better that way.

thanks for the replies, ill play with it again tomorrow.

 

[Mavrick]

I was fiddling with them again tonight...

As i tried to get them to fit right, i remembered HISSIN50 telling me to compress the cylinder, so i did, and they fit much better! Thanks hissin!

 

[HISSIN50]

so what is the verdict? brakes running smoothly?
dont feel bad. most of the time, something goes wrong on the drums when doing them. been there, done that. they are just archaic, old junk, IMHO.

 

[Mavrick]

Yep, i can't wait till i can afford some rear discs... just have to find a nice sn95 to yank all the brakes from!

Car is in storage right now, so i'm just going to adjust and bleed the brake system.. let er rip in the spring.

 

[HISSIN50]

Mav, i used to live in Alaska. that last pic brings back memories. today in tucson, it was sunny and about 80*. ahhhh.

i hear you on the sn95. all the pick a parts here suck. they all have computerized inventory and want a ton of money for the junk (i think its cuz the stuff stays so well preserved in the desert, they make some good money sellin it nationwide).
if i do find an sn95 or mark VIII with cheap parts, ill leave the frame and not much else. LOL.

 

[Mavrick]

LOL. good luck with that hissin!

It's nice and about -20 degre's here (celcius), at 7:30am im just heading to work.