Rear Brake shoe issue.

[Doug Larsson]

Hi guys I need some help brainstorming my rear brakes. I installed all new rear brake shoes and the components that go with it I even installed new wheel cylinders also. I’ve bled the brakes twice double checked all the new components I installed . I fired up the car I have brakes but the pedal goes to the floor before it stops. I noticed in my old manual it says if your brakes aren’t self adjusting you need to get underneath the car and manually adjust them till your drums start to rub. I’m stuck on what else to check. I bought all my parts from NAPA .

 

[493 Mike]

Hi guys I need some help brainstorming my rear brakes. I installed all new rear brake shoes and the components that go with it I even installed new wheel cylinders also. I’ve bled the brakes twice double checked all the new components I installed . I fired up the car I have brakes but the pedal goes to the floor before it stops. I noticed in my old manual it says if your brakes aren’t self adjusting you need to get underneath the car and manually adjust them till your drums start to rub. I’m stuck on what else to check. I bought all my parts from NAPA .

It sounds to me like you need some drum brake education. Manual or self-adjusting brakes require manual adjustment to minimize shoe to drum clearance before bleeding to limit wheel cylinder piston stroke. You will need to adjust the shoes all the way out, until the drum cannot be hand rotated, then back away from the drum surface until the drum will rotate by hand with a slight amount of drag. With manual adjustment mechanisms it is merely reversing the adjuster rotation/spoon movement. With self-adjusting mechanisms, the procedure is the same except you must hold the self-adjuster lever away from the star wheel to allow the reverse rotation. I made a tool out of 1/8" welding rod 50 years ago to accomplish this action. With the drum off fit the tool through the adjustment hole while holding the spoon to the star wheel and you will learn how to use the 2 tools together to accomplish the adjustment. Do this adjustment to all the drums, then bleed the system. OK?
Mike

 

[Doug Larsson]

Yes I do need some education lol thank you very much I greatly appreciate it.

 

[PlymCrazy]

You can buy the spoon tool nearly anyplace that sells auto parts. They're fairly inexpensive. A "must have tool" if you have drum brakes imo.

 

[eldubb440]

I'd pull the drum and spin the adjuster from the drum side until there is some friction putting the drum back on....... then bleed

careful not to spread the shoes too far, going the other way is a bit of a pita