I replaced the rear wheel cylinders and shoes on my '72 Electra. I also have new drums. Is there a special procedure to adjust them? I was thinking of turning the star wheel until I can just get the drum on, then backing out maybe one turn of the star wheel? And what about the parking brake, would this need to be adjusted too? Thanks. Mitch
after you put the drum on put the wheel back on, there is a slot on the backing plate in which you can turn the star wheel. Use your hand to turn the tire while you tighten up on the star wheel. it should start to drag. Go put on the brakes at the pedal. and then spin the tire and turn the star wheel again until you get some resistance. that should get you there. do other side. You may want to check them again after a few days.
when you replaced the rear shoes did you check the emergency brake cables to make sure they werent seized? if the cables are o.k. adjusting the rear shoes properly should be all you need to do.
If the E-brake had been adjusted previously to "tighten" the e-brake pedal (make fewer clicks) then it would be advisable to loosen it up, do your brake service, then adjust the e-brake cable. I think it is supposed to go about 3 clicks at the pedal, but check the service manual for the exact procedure. If it hadnt been adjusted, then you probably have nothing to worry about. The your star adjusters in the drums help set the proper contact of the shoes to the drum. If your e-brake is holding the shoes open too far at its base setting (not applied), it can cause misalignment which can reduce braking effectiveness and cause premature wear. Check the service manual, I believe it has a paragraph or two on this subject. Thats how I would do it anyhow. My .02
Another thing Mitch, even if your initial shoe adjustments are a bit loose, they will self-adjust every time you hit the brakes in reverse. After a fresh shoe install I usually do that 2-3 times on purpose with a blip of the throttle and a firm hit to the pedal. Should be good to go. Devon
Mine still have the access hole in the backing plate intact. Never been punched out! 78 model. they are supposed to be self-adjusting. Go-stop,Go-stop in reverse--done.:3gears:
Re: Adjusting rear brakes- still dragging Got the new brakes installed, star wheel screw backed all the way. Disconnected the em. brake adjusting locknut at front of vehicle. Em. cables at each rear wheel at not frozen, free to move. When I put the new drums on there is still some drag. There is no other way to free them at this point. I still have not bled the new wheel cylinders, maybe they need some pressure to seat the shoes correctly?? Mitch
One thing about new brake drums, they are commonly out-of-round right out of the box. If they vibrate when braking then the drums must be turned. Hopefully, yours are fine.
bleed the wheel cylinders, make sure you have no air in the system. when you install new shoes and drums at the same time, you may need to adjust the brakes a little or not at all, because their at their maximum thickness. if the brakes are adjusted too tight they can start to lock up when they get hot. once your sure you have no more air in the system, take a test drive. only adjust them tighter if your not happy with your pedal.
It costs me $15 to get a drum turned. As long as the used drums will clean up and be within the spec of maximum diameter then they will be as good as new. This is checked with a micrometer. New drums must be painted, preferably before they are used/heated up because they rust QUICK.
I have a power bleeder (haven't tried it yet), I'll do that tomorrow and see if the shoes align themselves. Thanks. Mitch
Mitch, DON'T paint the friction surface of the drums. Not all brake pad formulations are tolerant of various paints, and squealing can often be a result when the paint becomes embedded in the lining of the shoes. I went through a recall in 2000 for this reason alone becuase a supplier added paint on their own to band-aid another failure mode. Devon
The drums were from Napa, made in Argentina! Anyway, I used brake cleaner to first clean the shoe contact surface. The whole drum must be covered with an anti-rust coating. It's dark out now so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to try again. Mitch
No go, drums still drag even with em. brake adjuster screw disconnected. Seems like something is not the right size, either drum diameter or shoes. The shoes are AC Delco, not under(over?) size. When I have the em. adjuster just threaded (like two turns, the pedal em. brake has no travel. I'll try slipping one of the old drums on there. If it goes on no problem, I think the new ones will need to be turned down a bit. If so, how much do drums normally get turned? What should the "new" diameter be? Thanks. Mitch
mitch, dont turn the new drums yet. it sounds like 1 or more of your emergency cables are frozen. try this as a test. remove the equalizer bar and then try and install the drum. the bar that sits between the 2 brake shoes. make sure the brake shoe adjuster is all the way in. the drum should now fit with less drag. if the emergency cable is frozen it wont let the shoes sit in the backing plate all the way in. this is why you probably cant get the drums on.
