Brake prob, plz help!

[goodbabbu]

hello ppl,

I was working on my rear brakes on friday and saturday with no result... really annoying...

i got new drums, shoes, wheel cylinder and hardware kit, bearings and seals...
So, i take everything apart, and put in the new cylinder and the shoes, put the new bearings in and bleed the brakes.. and i thought i am ready to go.. but no, the shoes are sticking to the drum (its makes ch ch ch sound)...

so i take the drum out to see whats wrong.... the cylinder is coming out more to one side than it does on the other.... SO, i take everything apart again, put in the "other new cylinder"... same thing again, this time even worse, the cylinder starts to bleed... and oh! i was mad.... so i tried again and again and again, with no result, same thing happeing


DO you guys think i should go to the shop and get another pair of cylinders or is there something i am doing wrong? Or, i should just take it to a mechanic and pay $200 to get it fixed?

cheers,
G

[Seth]

When i changed mine. (i was planning on drums, shoes, cylinder, bearings, springs) i did everything as you did. but when i got to the cylinders i didnt want to risk breaking any bolts (for some reason i have a habbit of breaking them) so i just swapped all the components out. took the seals off then took the spring out and jsut put the stuff from new new one in. i havnt had a problem but they did seem to grab a little. without any break pressure. i figured it would wear off cause they were new.

maybe im wrong. but id say give it a try if your up for it. beats paying for the work at a shop if the weathers decent.

i know I myself cant really work in really really humid weather. it jsut gets to me and i almost passed out once or twice. so i have to stay extra hydrated!

good luck. im sure i im nto the only one with input.

[BigElCat]

The cylinder has two pistons that self-center under load. The fact one came out first under no load doesn't matter, it just had a little less resistence. You did the right thing replacing the cylinder. Don't worry about breaking the bolts in the old one. You can always use new bolts.

I haven't done my rear brakes yet, but I think your problem is in the self-adjustment screw. Take it apart, clean it and grease the threads with brake grease. Then repeat what you did, reassemble the brakes and bleed the air.

Set the self-adjuster by backing up in the car, and hit the brakes hard. Do it two or three times. The noise you heard is one shoe making contact, rather than two. The fix I described will cure that. Good look.

[BigElCat]

Oh yeah,,,adjust the self-adjuster as far out as it will go and still let the brake drum fit over the shoes. Otherwise you'll be backing and braking a hundred times.

If you crank it too far out, just release the ratchet tab, prying it with a screw driver. Take it in a little bit 'till the drum slips on.

Free up the e-brake mechansim while you're in there.

[BigElCat]

Or, i should just take it to a mechanic and pay $200 to get it fixed?
G

NEVER, under any circumstances, let someone else work on your car:p

[m715]

I believe you all may be headed the right direction, but the adjuster is a rachet on the link between the shoes. This often will be frozen in place, and will need th be freed up before reassembling the rear brakes. I incude a couple of pictures of the adjuster.

[jglutz]

One side on the cylinder out further than the other is typically not a problem....but I think it might be a result of your new drums. I would not be surprised if the new drum is not properly machined. Possibly the bores for the bearings are not concentric (eccentric) with the shoe surface. As the drum turns on the spindle...the machined shoe surface wobbles around the shoes. Pushing the cylinder back and forth.

Re-assemble the brakes with the adjuster retracted...spin the whell and slowly extend the adjuster. As the shoes start to grab...the friction will be felt 180 degrees apart. If so scrap the drums.

Also....are the contact pints between the shoes and backing palte clean and lubed?

[BigElCat]

My understanding of what he said is that the cylinder 'extends' first on one side when the drum is removed. It's going to do that normally.

I think it's all in the brake adjuster.

[Handyman]

To be fair, I haven't worked on drum brakes since I was a kid working on my Daddy's 60 Nash Metro. I was about 12 and I would draw all the cables and springs on a paper plate before I took them apart. So's I could remember how they go back. But I'm with you BigEl The trouble is in the adjuster.

[goodbabbu]

hey guys
thanks for the input! I know its definately not adjuster cuz i remember reading a lot about it when i was searching on drum brakes on the forum... So, i made sure its working fine and wasn't jamned or anything...

I am honestly really sick of these brakes now.... i opened the assembly about 5-6 times without any result... so i was thinking of taking to a mechanic... i know i know.... or maybe i should give it another shot?!!

[REDNECK1]

if you are not in a panic i could look at them,.......you never pmed me back

[LauraZ]

hey guys
thanks for the input! I know its definately not adjuster cuz i remember reading a lot about it when i was searching on drum brakes on the forum... So, i made sure its working fine and wasn't jamned or anything...

I am honestly really sick of these brakes now.... i opened the assembly about 5-6 times without any result... so i was thinking of taking to a mechanic... i know i know.... or maybe i should give it another shot?!!

I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I just did my brakes and I think jglutz is probably right. Take your drums, even though they are new, and have them checked by a shop that machines (or turns) disks and drums. They can tell you if the drums are "out of round". They might even be able to fix them if they are. Worth a shot, and probably cheaper than the mechanic route.

Laura Z

[REDNECK1]

drums are almost always out of round when new!..........I have always turned new drums and never found one that was perfect,.........

[goodbabbu]

Hey Red,

that would be awesome... oh! and i never got your PM.. prob some glitch!!
i am sending you my number in the pm right now... i am free all weekend.... starting today...

if you are not in a panic i could look at them,.......you never pmed me back

cheers,
G