drum brake crash course, or refresher

[oldbee]

I also like the idea of adjusting for brake lockup and then backing off. Probably centers up the shoes better in the drum. Next time, I'm going to try it. Makes sense,I think...

 

[mopar 3 B]

No self adjuster, also?

Thats a manual adjuster

 

[moparwacko]

View attachment 390689 View attachment 390690
The wheel cylinders you have are either incorrect or horribly manufactured. Read- cheap Chinese junk. Attached is a pic of a Bendix cyl, note the correct orientation/angle of bleed screw.
Replace them, my NAPA store sells them retail for $12 each. If these are junk, what else is?

 

[Cranky]

"Cranky" is thinking the new way 'for better gas mileage'.. Who cares about brake drag? I'll go for high solid brake pedal anyday.. lol

If your drums are round, setting your shoes where there's no drag when things are hot isn't going to make any noticeable difference in your pedal. We're only talking about about a few thousands of an inch here and if you think about it, if they are dragging, you're creating heat and faster wear....

 

[threewood]

View attachment 390689 View attachment 390690
The wheel cylinders you have are either incorrect or horribly manufactured. Read- cheap Chinese junk. Attached is a pic of a Bendix cyl, note the correct orientation/angle of bleed screw.
Replace them, my NAPA store sells them retail for $12 each. If these are junk, what else is?View attachment 391118

Also Chinese. The bleeder is thinner than stock and sometimes the threads are not very tight and easy to twist it off if you are not careful.

 

[miller]

I also like the idea of adjusting for brake lockup and then backing off. Probably centers up the shoes better in the drum. Next time, I'm going to try it. Makes sense,I think...

All it's for, is to find a starting point...

Just tightening the shoes to the drum, both the same (hopefully, lol), then backing off the same number of 'clicks'. Simply adjusts both brakes the same on that axle, so it won't pull one way, or other.
How much you back off also adjusts how much free play you get at the brake pedal.

 

[moparwacko]

Also Chinese. The bleeder is thinner than stock and sometimes the threads are not very tight and easy to twist it off if you are not careful.

Also correct, I always do a visual check when picking them up and ALWAYS replace the bleeder with one I have. But then again I have a stash from an old service station pick from years ago.
Good advice tho, almost all your component parts are cheaply made from the major parts stores- bummer

 

[Billccm]

Unfortunately this weekend is schedule filled with tasks other than wrenching on my MOPAR. I might get some wrench time late Sunday. If I do I'll update the thread.
My MOPAR friends came by and gave the brakes a quick look and agree with all of the comments here. I'll do a quick bearing repack, adjust the brakes the best I can, and maybe a gravity bleed. Even though wheel cylinders are $15 each, I'd rather not throw good money after bad and just save for a disc conversion in the spring.
Take care and thanks to all! Bill

 

[Billccm]

Right, or wrong I adjusted for good pedal, which means I had more drag than what is considered 'correct'. I must have adjusted the brakes 15 times each side and tested the pedal. I went for what I think is a good pedal; drums are far from locked, but adjusted up with more drag than I remember.

Now I only drove around the block twice up to blazing speeds of 30MPH, but jamming the pedal the car stopped straight. This does not prove a fix as I will need to drive much more, but at least I'm confident the shoes have lots of material and I have adjusted them to the best of my ability. I will at least sleep well tonight.

I'm suffering from 'MOPAR Exhaustion' right now as I have wrenched on two MOPARs in one day; as soon as I got some wrench time on the Road Runner my sister in law brought over her 06 PT Cruiser complaining of no turn signal on the left. That was a two hour detour. Not sure why, but both front and rear bulbs were out. Of course, this is a subject that belongs on another forum.

Thanks to all that not only help me out on this, but had the patience to put up with another very long thread.

Take care, Bill

 

[khryslerkid]

Right, or wrong I adjusted for good pedal, which means I had more drag than what is considered 'correct'.

Sorry but that is wrong. You don't want any drag. They will heat up on you, then they will fade away while driving.

Just adjust them till you can not get the adjuster to turn anymore, then back the adjuster until the wheel let's loose. You'll barely hear and feel the shoe making contact with the drum while rotating the tire. That's where you stop. Each wheel the same way. No counting turns of the adjuster. It's a touchy feely thing! Lol

 

[mopar 3 B]

They will either get hot and fade or lockup neither are healthy for you or your mopar .

 

[Billccm]

I can give it another look next weekend, but it seems I was either at lots of pedal travel, or minimal pedal travel within a range of 5, or 6 clicks of the adjust wheel.
Maybe I have something else going on? I did do a quick gravity bleed and the pedal is not spongy.

 

[bm02tj]

You need to go through the complete system
a week spring,a bad shoe ,a bad wheel cylinder ,a bad residual valve,brake hose ,bad strut rod bushing ,ball joint
tire ,wheel bearing etc

 

[kiwigtx]

At the risk of being another voice in the dark....have you checked to see if the shoes are fitted the correct way around? Brakes shoes have a Leading edge and a Trailing edge. I had my local Brake Guru sort out my A100 Pickup, checked the new shoes (drums on all 4) to roundness with the drums, checked the drum shape and surface, installed and adjusted....after 4 years and infrequent usage, that little Pickup still goes hard, and stops square and as fast as required, all with no power assist.
Just saying....it might be worth a second look.

Oh, and just because someone says they did some work on something....doesn't mean they actually did that work.

 

[miller]

No counting turns of the adjuster. It's a touchy feely thing!

Don't agree on no counting...but not turns, but the clicks, or each adjuster tab against the spring. Count those clicks, backing off, then same thing on other side. Only reasonable way to get accurate adjustment, and equal both brakes on the same axle.

 

[Billccm]

Don't agree on no counting...but not turns, but the clicks, or each adjuster tab against the spring. Count those clicks, backing off, then same thing on other side. Only reasonable way to get accurate adjustment, and equal both brakes on the same axle.

Counting clicks is something I did do. From my notes, I ended up adjusting each side to lock, then 6 clicks off.

My notes are a bit sketchy, but 12, or 14 clicks off was no drag (I ended up doing this process over and over).

I think I have a garage queen until April when I can get my disc conversion.

 

[Cranky]

My daughter has an 03 PT GT Turbo. I hate that bastid! The wife wanted one when they first came out and when I opened the hood on one in the show room, it only took about 5 seconds to drop it and walk away. It pissed me off when my wife took the daughter out looking for her first car and came home with it because guess who ended up working on it.

 

[Billccm]

My daughter has an 03 PT GT Turbo. I hate that bastid! The wife wanted one when they first came out and when I opened the hood on one in the show room, it only took about 5 seconds to drop it and walk away. It pissed me off when my wife took the daughter out looking for her first car and came home with it because guess who ended up working on it.

This is a ultra base super stripper model PT Cruiser that is a 40K mile cream puff. My sister in law bought new in 2006.
When she was car shopping it came down to the Chevy HHR and the PT Cruiser; she called me for advice and I said between those two definitely the PT.
Don't enjoy wrenching on the PT, but I have to give it credit it's been a very good car for my sister in law for the first 40K miles.

 

[mopar 3 B]

There are no clicks on a manual adjuster or am I missing something?

 

[bm02tj]

There is no clicks but you should feel it rubbing the spring that is stretched over it