One of my rear brakes is dragging almost all the time...

[ghunt]

I'm looking for a little input on this problem.

Last summer, I took my truck in to have it inspected. In the driver's side rear drum, the bottom spring that connects to both shoes was broken (looked like it rusted in one spot and broke) so I had to replace it.

While I was in there I did the shoes, and all new hardware. I disassembled the self adjusters on both sides, put a little antisieze in them for lubricant, and tried to make sure everything else was cleaned up and/or lubed as needed.

Well, ever since I did that, the driver's side rear brake has been dragging almost all the time. Worse if I use the parking brake, although not always.

Two weeks ago I took the drums off and backed off the adjusters on both sides. The driver's side was noticeably adjusted wrong as I had to physically pull the drum off since it was catching on the shoes. They have since adjusted back out and the driver's side has adjusted itself too much and is dragging again.

What do I need to look for that would be doing this?

 

[LCAM-01XA]

I'd look into modifying the plates that ratchet on the self-adjusters so that they still prevent the ratchet wheels from turning loose, but they do not tighten the adjusters when you hit the parking brake, then adjust them manually. May need to cut off part of these plates to achieve that, been a while since I changed drums and I don't remember how exactly the adjuster ratchet plates move.

 

[Agnem]

I wouldn't modify anything. The system will work fine as designed, if everything is assembled correctly and lubricated and working. My guess is your slack adjuster is swapped. In normal operation, rotation of the drivers side shoes in the clockwise position will raise the cable held slack adjuster arm slightly. On subsequent forward stops, the shoes will rotate back counterclockwise to their resting place, causing the star wheel to be pushed by the slack adjuster one click. If you swap the adjuster screws from left to right, the operation will be reversed, with the drivers side tightening on every stop, and the passenger side loosening.

 

[f-two-fiddy]

I've found that NEW hardware is the only way to go. Weak springs really do effect the operation of the self adjusters.

 

[ghunt]

I don't know how the slack adjuster would be swapped....I did the brakes one side at a time, and they were fine BEFORE I did the shoes.

And I put in new hardware.


I hate drum brakes...

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Did you put in new adjusters? If so, it's entirely possible that you simply put in the wrong adjusters on the wrong side, nevermind you did them one at a time. How is your passenger-side brake, is it loosening up or it stays good all the time? If it's good you may wanna pull the drum there and take a picture of it, the driver-side should be an exact mirror image of the passenger-side (you can edit the picture on your computer, then print it out, to make things easier).

 

[ghunt]

The passenger side brake is good as far as I can tell.

Oh and no I didn't put in new adjusters, I reused the old ones.

 

[Agnem]

Hmm... then I can't explain what is happening, but something is obviously causing the ratchet action to take place. Did you compare the first side you did to the side you didn't touch to make sure you got it all in right? It IS easy to make a mistake. Especially that bar with the spring on it near the top of the shoes.

 

[liddledoggie]

parking brake cable could be hung up and holding the brake shoe against the drum.

 

[ghunt]

Yeah I'm thinking it might be the parking brake cable. I'm gonna try replacing it and see if that does anything.