Cant spin wheel after lugs are tight

[koosh]

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.

I did the washer trick… not sure if they were thick enough to make a difference, i only had 2 to try. “Seems” like it was a VERY slight difference.i guess I’ll have to get more washers for adding thickness

 

[koosh]

Seems to me the only thing hitting the backplate is those 6 “tabs” I mentioned above which “seem” to rub on the 6 “flat spots “ on the backplate. But i assume thats what they’re for?

 

[Dodge33]

The issue is that you have the secondary shoe facing the front of the car, which is wrong. You need to install the short shoe (primary shoe which is the brake shoe with shortest length pad) which faces the front of the car. You just need to swap your shoes from back to front, and reinstall all of your holdowns and springs. This should fix your problem. This has been known to cause the front brakes to lock up. Good luck, Dodge33

 

[koosh]

The issue is that you have the secondary shoe facing the front of the car, which is wrong. You need to install the short shoe (primary shoe which is the brake shoe with shortest length pad) which faces the front of the car. You just need to swap your shoes from back to front, and reinstall all of your holdowns and springs. This should fix your problem. This has been known to cause the front brakes to lock up. Good luck, Dodge33

LMAO!!!!
If it were only that easy! However, the "short shoes " are facing forward.

 

[R/T Boy 67]

Put some felt pen or other marking material on the metal tabs on the outside of the shoes. Tighten the drums just enough until they drag a bit, and then spin them a few times, and check the tabs for rubbing.

 

[koosh]

Put some felt pen or other marking material on the metal tabs on the outside of the shoes. Tighten the drums just enough until they drag a bit, and then spin them a few times, and check the tabs for rubbing.

I will def try that in the morning thanks

 

[#41]

As I mentioned previously… shoe material is 3”…. Drum surface is 3 1/4”.

This does not matter. If your drum is offset too much it may bind with the backing plate or pinch the shoes between the backing plate and drum.

There are only two things it can be. 1) Binding drum to backing plates, or 2) binding the shoes between the drum and backing plate: Take off the shoes, put the drum on, and tighten the lugs (no wheels). Does it spin? No = your drums are mis-matched to your backing plates and binding. Yes = Your brakes shoes are binding between your drum and backing plate.

The trick then is figuring out which parts are mis-matched. Googling pictures of 11" front drums, yours don't look right to me. They appear that they may be offset too far inward from the hub flange.

 

[matthon]

As far as wrong shoes, they are identical to the old, as far as dimensions are concerned.

Bad new shoes.
See the link I posted, I went through the same exact thing.
Shoes look and measure identical, but they're not.

 

[dadsbee]

 

[koosh]

This does not matter. If your drum is offset too much it may bind with the backing plate or pinch the shoes between the backing plate and drum.

There are only two things it can be. 1) Binding drum to backing plates, or 2) binding the shoes between the drum and backing plate: Take off the shoes, put the drum on, and tighten the lugs (no wheels). Does it spin? No = your drums are mis-matched to your backing plates and binding. Yes = Your brakes shoes are binding between your drum and backing plate.

The trick then is figuring out which parts are mis-matched. Googling pictures of 11" front drums, yours don't look right to me. They appear that they may be offset too far inward from the hub flange.

I have done the no shoes try, just drum, and drum with wheel. Spins freely both scenarios. The new drums are identical to the old. I have ordered another set of different brand shoes….FINGERS CROSSED

 

[koosh]

Bad new shoes.
See the link I posted, I went through the same exact thing.
Shoes look and measure identical, but they're not.

I just ordered a new set if shoes different brand

 

[dvw]

Take the shoes off. Bolt the drum back on and tighten it up. Does it spin freely? If so you have shoe/drum interference. If not I'd look real hard at the grooved area of the drum where the raised edge of the backing plate sets in the drum groove. Have had more than a few with a rough area in the groove that hit the backing plate.
Doug

 

[koosh]

Take the shoes off. Bolt the drum back on and tighten it up. Does it spin freely? If so you have shoe/drum interference. If not I'd look real hard at the grooved area of the drum where the raised edge of the backing plate sets in the drum groove. Have had more than a few with a rough area in the groove that hit the backing plate.
Doug

This has already been done. No evidence the groove was rubbing

 

[dvw]

This has already been done. No evidence the groove was rubbing

So what happens with no shoes installed?
Doug

 

[koosh]

So what happens with no shoes installed?
Doug

Everything spins free

 

[#41]

I have done the no shoes try, just drum, and drum with wheel. Spins freely both scenarios. The new drums are identical to the old. I have ordered another set of different brand shoes….FINGERS CROSSED

Ok. Good luck with the new shoes. It's gotta be that.

If the worst comes to worst, I have ground 1/8" off the width of new shoes and installed them. People will cringe reading this, but I needed to get the car on the road.

 

[Don selleck]

I have ground metal off the brake pads several times on disk to get them to fit several times in the last several years. fix as you go, no quality control, one set was on my 2014 ram. and no they were no mopar pads, thats probably why.

 

[koosh]

Ok. Good luck with the new shoes. It's gotta be that.

If the worst comes to worst, I have ground 1/8" off the width of new shoes and installed them. People will cringe reading this, but I needed to get the car on the road.

Did you grind just the “metal tabs” or actual brake lining? What did you use?

 

[dvw]

One other thought. Post #1 says "wheel bearings". Were they were replaced? Were the inner bearings and races the same thickness? If they were thinner for some reason? Then the hub would set further inboard alowing the drum to set further into the backing plate and shoes.
Doug

 

[koosh]

One other thought. Post #1 says "wheel bearings". Were they were replaced? Were the inner bearings and races the same thickness? If they were thinner for some reason? Then the hub would set further inboard alowing the drum to set further into the backing plate and shoes.
Doug

Bearings measure the same.