Front brakes Dragging

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Please forgive my ignorance, as it may be a difference in year-model/construction, but how can the lug-nuts or lack thereof, have any bearing on holding the rotors of a 3/4- or 1-ton in place ??

All I have dealt with were either held in place by completely independent bolts, or held to the BACK SIDE of the hub by the wheel-studs being driven through ??

I know that on many smaller vehicles the lug-nuts hold the rotors, but I have not seen this on any 3/4- or 1-ton truck.

Enlighten me please.

Anyone know ??

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Anyone know ??

IDK on this one

 

[icanfixall]

I'm thinking someone may have installed the wrong adjuster on the side that wore out the brakes. I believe we have a right and left adjuster and they thread differantly. I understand if you mix them up they work backwards. They either tighten up too much or loosen up too much... anybody know anything about this..... And yes... You are very much running off only the front brakes. Hauling heavy doing this will overheat the front rotors and crack them. Best way to know if the backs need manual adjusting is see how far down the parking brake sets. If its more than 1/4 to 1/2 way down the backs are way out of adjustment.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

My friend who is also in auto class told me that when they were trying to get the right drum off he was looking into the parking break and said that it was not even connected at the pedal in the cab.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

My friend who is also in auto class told me that when they were trying to get the right drum off he was looking into the parking break and said that it was not even connected at the pedal in the cab.

When the park-brake cables or rear shoes are loose, as in not adjusted properly, OR any portion of the housed cables are either frozen or binding, it is common for the cable-keeper to jump out of the pedal mechanism, as spring tension in the drums is all that keeps it all together.


Now that you have new shoes, drums, and such, unless you already have done so, loosen and dis-connect the park-brake adjuster, located alongside the left frame-rail.

With the individual cables dis-connected, pull on each one, working the cable in and out, to ascertain that the cable does indeed work freely inside the sheathing.

It matters not that the cables may work when operated by the massive leverage of the pedal; if you cannot easily pull them outward by hand, that wimpy spring inside the drum is not going to be able to pull them completely back.

Also, with the cable pulled out as far as it will go, saturate it with oil and work it in and out, doing this process numerous times.

Once it is ascertained that both sides work freely, re-connect the adjuster mechanism and adjust it.


IF you find that either or both cables are frozen or work sluggishly, then you will have to go back into the rear brakes and replace the cables.


The fact that you were un-aware that the pedal was not connected leads me to believe that you are not in the habit of using the park-brake.


Park-brakes are one thing that last longer the more they are used.

The park-brake SHOULD be set EVERY TIME the truck is parked.


Park-brakes = USE 'EM or LOSE 'EM

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I'm thinking someone may have installed the wrong adjuster on the side that wore out the brakes. I believe we have a right and left adjuster and they thread differantly. I understand if you mix them up they work backwards. They either tighten up too much or loosen up too much... anybody know anything about this..... And yes... You are very much running off only the front brakes. Hauling heavy doing this will overheat the front rotors and crack them. Best way to know if the backs need manual adjusting is see how far down the parking brake sets. If its more than 1/4 to 1/2 way down the backs are way out of adjustment.

Right you are in that all drum brakes have a RIGHT and a LEFT star-wheel adjuster.

Properly installed, the adjuster should spread the shoes when the star-wheel is rotated upwards, bottom to top, when looking at it from the out-board side with the drum off and the brakes visible.


When adjusting the brakes through the in-board side of the backing-plate, through the little adjustment slot, you rotate the star-wheel downwards to spread the shoes.



The only real benefit of those silly "self-adjusters" is that they spring-lock into engagement with the star-wheel teeth, thus preventing the adjusters from loosening themselves due to constant vibration.


In all the many vehicles I have owned, I have never yet been able to have any success with the "self-adjusters" adjusting anything, no matter how new or well-maintained the brakes.



As for the front brakes doing all the work, for my part, I wish all the "anti-lock" and ABS systems were down there with the Titantic; they cause the rear brakes to do absolutely nothing, while the front rotors over-heat and self-destruct.

I eliminate that junk from anything I drive.

 

[trackspeeder]

Anyone know ??

99 and up Super Duty are set up this way. If you don't want the rotor to move with the wheel off. Put a nut or two back on. Most of the time the rotor is frozen, so it wont move anyways.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

99 and up Super Duty are set up this way. If you don't want the rotor to move with the wheel off. Put a nut or two back on. Most of the time the rotor is frozen, so it wont move anyways.

Thanks for the info.

Alas, they get more like rice-burners with each "improvement".

 

[trackspeeder]

Thanks for the info.

Alas, they get more like rice-burners with each "improvement".

Rice burner... That would be a chebby with a maxi pad under the hood.

 

['94IDITurbo7.3]

Last week i pressure tested my master cylinder and found that it was bad so i bought a new one. i got the system bled today and my pedal sinks to the floor. it will get harder if you pump it up. the only thing that is left that i have not replaced it the RABS valve. i am going to bypass it and see if that fixes my problem.
if that does not fix my pedal going straight to the floor what other suggestions do you guys have?