rocky61201
Well-Known Member
Bought my 71 Charger a few years ago and came with 4 wheel manual drum brakes. When I bought the car, the left rear wheel was frozen. At the time it wasn't a big deal as I was doing a resto anyway. We got it off the flatbed tow truck into my garage by putting the left rear wheel on a makeshift wheel dolly.
Since that time, I've upgraded to power front discs and stock rear drum using an SSBC power disc/drum master cylinder, brand new 72 OEM style combination valve for disc/drum, all new brake lines, and rebuilt the rear drums with new brake shoes and the associated hardware to include springs, star wheel adjusters, wheel cylinders, ect. The only thing I haven't replaced is the "T" fitting for the brake line on the rear axle, outer brake drums, stock style parking brake cables.
After changing all that stuff and bleeding the brakes, the left rear drum is still gets frozen. Takes a few hours or a night to become unstuck as if I'm waiting for hydraulic pressure to back off. At the time I figured, I'll get back to that problem as i've still got tons of other stuff I can work on.
So a year later this thing is ready to get back on the road. Last night I tackle the brakes again. I figured maybe the star wheel adjusters were reversed so that was the first thing I checked. It wasn't. With the car on jack stands I couldn't get the brakes to get frozen. Apply brakes and release, turn axle by hand, no problems. I visually checked the operation of the parking brake mechanism inside the drum. Engages and disengages no problem. Problem fixed right??? I put the wheels back on and lower the car. Apply brakes and frozen again. WTF!!! Even the tourque of the 383 can't overcome the frozen brakes when i put it in drive/reverse. WTF!!!
So i curse at MaMopar a whole bunch and call it a night. I'm gonna go back to work on it this evening. Any idea's from our awesome members and experts here at FBBO???
I've changed drum brake shoes at least a dozen times in my lifetime and this shouldn't be that hard. If i don't get this fixed tonight i swear I'm gonna cut the rear brake line and tie it in a knot using a pair of vice grips just so i can drive it around the block.
Since that time, I've upgraded to power front discs and stock rear drum using an SSBC power disc/drum master cylinder, brand new 72 OEM style combination valve for disc/drum, all new brake lines, and rebuilt the rear drums with new brake shoes and the associated hardware to include springs, star wheel adjusters, wheel cylinders, ect. The only thing I haven't replaced is the "T" fitting for the brake line on the rear axle, outer brake drums, stock style parking brake cables.
After changing all that stuff and bleeding the brakes, the left rear drum is still gets frozen. Takes a few hours or a night to become unstuck as if I'm waiting for hydraulic pressure to back off. At the time I figured, I'll get back to that problem as i've still got tons of other stuff I can work on.
So a year later this thing is ready to get back on the road. Last night I tackle the brakes again. I figured maybe the star wheel adjusters were reversed so that was the first thing I checked. It wasn't. With the car on jack stands I couldn't get the brakes to get frozen. Apply brakes and release, turn axle by hand, no problems. I visually checked the operation of the parking brake mechanism inside the drum. Engages and disengages no problem. Problem fixed right??? I put the wheels back on and lower the car. Apply brakes and frozen again. WTF!!! Even the tourque of the 383 can't overcome the frozen brakes when i put it in drive/reverse. WTF!!!
So i curse at MaMopar a whole bunch and call it a night. I'm gonna go back to work on it this evening. Any idea's from our awesome members and experts here at FBBO???
I've changed drum brake shoes at least a dozen times in my lifetime and this shouldn't be that hard. If i don't get this fixed tonight i swear I'm gonna cut the rear brake line and tie it in a knot using a pair of vice grips just so i can drive it around the block.
