Cant spin wheel after lugs are tight

[koosh]

After lots of search, found a few threads on this subject. And there were answers to the issues. I have many projects going on this 69 Super Bee, including al new brakes. Tge rears were not even touching the drums, got that fixed. Moved to the front, where when driving up the driveway, BARELY touch brake pedal and fronts locked up…. Decided on new shoes, drums etc. installed new shoes(identical to original), adjusted star wheel down to slight drag on new drums. Put wheels on, cant come close to moving the wheel…switched drums, tried old ones, quadruple checked shoe install, measured drums…..
New wheel brgs. I don’t know what else to check!!!!

 

[dvw]

If it locks up with either the old or new drums the issue is the shoes, installation, or hardware. Old hardware or new? Lets see a picture with the drums off. Front only? Rear only? All 4?
Doug

 

[gkent]

Drums contacting the backing plates ??

 

[matthon]

Rear Brakes Lock Up when Wheels Go On?

 

[koosh]

If it locks up with either the old or new drums the issue is the shoes, installation, or hardware. Old hardware or new? Lets see a picture with the drums off. Front only? Rear only? All 4?
Doug

If it locks up with either the old or new drums the issue is the shoes, installation, or hardware. Old hardware or new? Lets see a picture with the drums off. Front only? Rear only? All 4?
Doug

Only the front brakes.
I’m beginning to think previous owner had no clue what he was doing. And maybe the original drums and brakes never spun freely either. But probably able to drive it that way and perhaps that’s why the front always locked up so easily?

 

[koosh]

Drums contacting the backing plates ??

There is no indication of the drums hitting the backing plate

 

[furious70]

There is no indication of the drums hitting the backing plate

Are you able to forcibly turn it or hard locked up. If hard locked up there won't be much of a witness mark

 

[Tony Tee]

Maybe the brake shoe material is a little too wide??

 

[toolmanmike]

There is no indication of the drums hitting the backing plate

If the drum will turn with no wheel attached, try turning it as you tighten the lug nuts up a little at a time. Put a couple nuts on (taper out) and see what happens.

 

[toolmanmike]

Maybe the brake shoe material is a little too wide??

Like 2 1/2" shoes with a 2 1/4" drum.

 

[koosh]

If the drum will turn with no wheel attached, try turning it as you tighten the lug nuts up a little at a time. Put a couple nutts on (taper out) and see what happens.

I have definitely tried that… no changes

 

[koosh]

Maybe the brake shoe material is a little too wide??

The brake lining is exactly 3” wide, the drum brake surface is 3 1/4” wide

 

[toolmanmike]

If the drum spins independent of the wheel then the rim is rubbing on something then.

 

[koosh]

New drum, and old drum, no wheel. Tighten 2 lug nuts, cant move the drum

 

[toolmanmike]

New drum, and old drum, no wheel. Tighten 2 lug nuts, cant move the drum

View attachment 1635543

Old and new drums do the same? The thing you changed was the shoes? Wrong shoes. Regardless of the dimension. Like I said. with the lug nuts loose, spin the drums. Do they spin? Snug up the nuts a bit. Do the drums still turn? Keep tightening a little at a time until there is a rubbing noise.It should leave a mark where ever it's making contact.

 

[Sam69sat]

New drum, and old drum, no wheel. Tighten 2 lug nuts, cant move the drum

View attachment 1635543

Seems like a had an issue like this once and it was due to the drum not sitting completely flush against the rotor face. Started after i installed new lug studs. When i tightened them, it must have slightly cocked the drum just enough to make the inside of the drum rub against the brake shoe or backing plate. Probably not your issue but something to check.

 

[#41]

On a 61 Chrysler I bought, the brake shoes were wider than the space allowed by the backing plate and drum. Once you tightened the lugs, the brake shoe was seized/squeezed between the backing plate and drum. Try looking at that. Something might be mismatched between the backing plate, brake shoes, and drum.

 

[eldubb440]

next step might be to remove the shoes and try again

 

[koosh]

Old and new drums do the same? The thing you changed was the shoes? Wrong shoes. Regardless of the dimension. Like I said. with the lug nuts loose, spin the drums. Do they spin? Snug up the nuts a bit. Do the drums still turn? Keep tightening a little at a time until there is a rubbing noise.It should leave a mark where ever it's making contact.

I have done this…. Slowly but surely drum gets harder and harder to spin until cant move at all. As far as wrong shoes, they are identical to the old, as far as dimensions are concerned. Here is a pic if the new shoes inside the new drum. As I mentioned previously… shoe material is 3”…. Drum surface is 3 1/4”.
Only marks Ive seen, or the “flats “ where those 6 metal tabs stick out a hair wider than the shoe material

 

[BeepBeepRR]

Measure the distance from the flange on the axle to the inside of the backing plate flat area. Then measure the drum in the same places. Seems to me its bottoming out. Or use the old carpenters trick with some lipstick and around the entire backing plate to see if it transfers the lipstick to the drum.

For craps and giggles stick a few washers on the lug studs and then slide the drum back on and but a couple nuts on. See if its still locked up. If so add a couple washers more. I'm not saying to leave them there Im saying to check for depth issues.