Drumbrake rear....

Hello.... I have a question aboat brakes and adjusing them. I have an E150 1988 302 EFI V8. I have replaced everything in the drum brakes in the 2 backwheel at my car. Everything went well, and I got everything in the correct position. Inside the drum there are an selfadjusting screw in the bottom. To get everything back together I had to screw this completely together. There are a flywheel on the screw which have an selfadjustment plate which shall turn the selfadjusting screw. So the question: Do I have to adjust this selfadjusting screw after assembled everything to get the brakeband to lay until the drum, or will this adjust itself after some driving? And with other words: Is it to much for the selfadjusting mecanism to take care of so I have to do it manuelly to get the band until the drum or will everything fix itself after some driving? regards... Tor Elling.

Reply to
Tor Elling Rustad
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Good question, I had to look it up to be sure. I've always adjusted mine up by hand and then backed them off so wasn't sure what Ford said about it. I have the Ford Truck Shop Manuals for '75.

They use a friggin special caliper to measure the inside of the drum and measure the outside of the brakes and adjust accordingly. What a crock of shit that is huh? :/

You're going to have to "play this by ear". :) You can do it. :)

First of all... stopping the vehicle while it was rolling backwards is what adjusts the drum brakes.

I've always seen it as too dangged much trouble to do a lot of that, so I always adjusted mine up snug then backed them off some so there wasn't going to be as much backing up and stopping needed.

Just make sure they aren't too tight to start with... that's bad. ;) And make sure they work good at stopping you, when you're done.

Alvin in AZ

Reply to
alvinj

adjust it

Reply to
Rob

Normally you would adjust the starwheel out a bit after you get the drums on via a slot in the backing plate which has a rubber plug in it.

You want to adjust them till the drum is snug to turn and do this with the tire mounted and of course on a jack stand. This is one way to do it and is best done if you have done this before to get a correct feel for it.

No the brakes will not adjust out on their own to give you proper braking. I would go as far as to say without adjustment you have an unsafe vehicle as your front brakes will do all your work and could cause you to lose control at a high speed stop esp in a van.

You can also buy a tool from most auto supply places that will measure the dia of the drum then you use this buy adjusting your shoes drum off to the proper fit using this tool.

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Reply to
Tim G

Thanks for answer. I will adjust it then. I know about the slot in the backing plate, because I had to adjust there to get the drums off. I have cleaned and lubed the self adjustment screw. So then I think I know the rest of what should be done. Thanks.... Tor Elling.

Reply to
Tor Elling Rustad

While you have the system apart, it might be a good idea to note which way you need to turn the starwheel(s) to expand the shoes.

You can buy a tool designed just for this task, or use a large flatblade scredriver. Don't forget to replace the rubber cover when done.

One other caution on drum brakes:

When assembling, do not pay attention to "left/right", but more to front/rear. I know a guy who was doing his wife's brakes on a Corsica, did the right side then duplicated the setup on the left side. He ended up with the leading shoe in the correct position on the first side, but backwards on the left side.

It wasn't me, honest...

David

Reply to
IdaSpode

|> So the question: Do I have to adjust this selfadjusting screw |> after assembled everything to get the brakeband to lay until the |> drum, or will this adjust itself after some driving? | |Good question, I had to look it up to be sure. I've always adjusted |mine up by hand and then backed them off so wasn't sure what Ford |said about it. I have the Ford Truck Shop Manuals for '75. | |They use a friggin special caliper to measure the inside of the drum |and measure the outside of the brakes and adjust accordingly. What |a crock of shit that is huh? :/

You can buy that caliper from HF for around $10.

You did lubricate the starwheel threads and under the cap with white grease, right? Should turn very easily. Just get the adjustment close, so the drum barely slips over the shoes. Then the self-adjusters will take up the remaining slack.

Personally, I like to replace ALL the springs(especially) and hardware each time. Rex in Fort Worth

Reply to
Rex B

Yes I have changed everything in there included the brake sylinder. Every spring etc. And lubricated. Tor Elling.

Reply to
Tor Elling Rustad

I have not done that. I have noticed everything I have taken apart on a paper, and mounted the new parts back on exactly as the old one was on every side. So everything should be correct changed. The only thing I was wondering aboat was the selfadjustment screw, and which I shal adjust it a bit manuelly or not. Tor Elling.

Reply to
Tor Elling Rustad

Thanks, but no thanks. ;)

Uh no... I used black grease with MoS in it. :/ Next time I'm going to use "anti-seize". :)

Did one side of my front disk brakes with "anti-seize" and that side worked better. Enough better- to make the pickup pull to that side when braking... it's never done that before... so I took the other side back apart and cleaned off the MoS grease and replace it with anti- seize and it braked straight again and braked extra good too.

Sounds like bullshit but it's true, I swear. :)

Yes. :) ...and I'll raise you using a hunk of power hacksaw blade and a hand grinder by removing the lip if it's high enough to warrant it in my eyes.

I think the grind stone I use for that is called a "plug" it's wider than it is round. Like 3" wide and 1+1/2" in diameter with a steel

5/8-11 thread inside.

It's wet there and sounds like a good idea and have done that on other vehicles too. On my '75 F150 the original springs (seems like I changed them once tho) prob'ly still look better than those in certain parts of the country after a just one year.

Alvin in AZ

Reply to
alvinj

|I have not done that. I have noticed everything I have taken apart on a |paper, and mounted the new parts back on exactly as the old one was on every |side.

You did pay attention to the direction of the screw thread - they are different left and right. One threads opposite the other, and you don't want them on the wrong sides Rex in Fort Worth

Reply to
Rex B

|> You can buy that caliper from HF for around $10. | |Thanks, but no thanks. ;) | |> You did lubricate the starwheel threads and under the cap with |> white grease, right? | |Uh no... I used black grease with MoS in it. :/ |Next time I'm going to use "anti-seize". :)

White lithium grease is the standard

|Did one side of my front disk brakes with "anti-seize" and that side |worked better. Enough better- to make the pickup pull to that side |when braking... it's never done that before... so I took the other |side back apart and cleaned off the MoS grease and replace it with |anti- seize and it braked straight again and braked extra good too. | |Sounds like bullshit but it's true, I swear. :)

We are accustomed to a libeal dose of BS here.:)

| |Yes. :) ...and I'll raise you using a hunk of power hacksaw blade |and a hand grinder by removing the lip if it's high enough to |warrant it in my eyes.

If you have a lip, you need to turn the drum and/or buy a new drum.

|I think the grind stone I use for that is called a "plug" it's wider |than it is round. Like 3" wide and 1+1/2" in diameter with a steel |5/8-11 thread inside. | |> Personally, I like to replace ALL the springs(especially) and |> hardware each time. |> Rex in Fort Worth | |It's wet there and sounds like a good idea and have done that on |other vehicles too. On my '75 F150 the original springs (seems like |I changed them once tho) prob'ly still look better than those in |certain parts of the country after a just one year.

When I was a young guy working at a service station in 1969, the resident mechanic demonstrated the need to change springs. He was doing a brake job on a

2-year-old car (routine at that time). He held both the new and the return springs before he re-assembled it. Then he dropped then new spring from a height of about 18" onto the concrete shop floor, producing a nice "TINGGG" sound, then rebounded a few feet away. Then he repeated with the 2-year-old spring, which still look new. This time it went "Thud" and hardly bounced at all. Repeated the demonstration for the other springs on that wheel, with the same results. I should note that this is in Texas, no salt. I repeat this test every time I'm wavering on buying new brake springs. Still works every time. I recommend it. Rex in Fort Worth
Reply to
Rex B

Standards? Since when did a hammer mechanic follow standards? ;)

Yeah, that's right. :( Hey wait a minute... is that one of them damn "standards"? :/

Sure enough. I think I'm going to go with your change out idea.

Heck a non-returned shoe could wear off a "shoe and drums worth" of springs in no time.

I knowed that. :) You're there at what I think of as "the edge of where the dry and wet part meets". :)

I have ex-in-laws (that are on my side;) that live in south central Arkansas. Between Fordyce and Campden.

Alvin in AZ (she packed her shit and left me and the kids yipeee!;)

Reply to
alvinj

On Tue, 10 Feb 2004 22:03:00 +0000, Rex B rearranged some electrons to form:

Yup... if you do that, the brakes will get looser.

Reply to
David M

I do not have the rubber seals in my backplate anymore. Where could I get these?

Hello.... I have a question aboat brakes and adjusing them. I have an E150 1988 302 EFI V8. I have replaced everything in the drum brakes in the 2 backwheel at my car. Everything went well, and I got everything in the correct position. Inside the drum there are an selfadjusting screw in the bottom. To get everything back together I had to screw this completely together. There are a flywheel on the screw which have an selfadjustment plate which shall turn the selfadjusting screw. So the question: Do I have to adjust this selfadjusting screw after assembled everything to get the brakeband to lay until the drum, or will this adjust itself after some driving? And with other words: Is it to much for the selfadjusting mecanism to take care of so I have to do it manuelly to get the band until the drum or will everything fix itself after some driving? regards... Tor Elling.

Reply to
stevef

They always auto-adjust down on the lever side (outside) and up on the inside. There isn't room for a lever to get under the wheel and push up. And, if i'm wrong, adjust it the other way! But you can see that you can't swap them side to side, nor can you install them backward and get the automatic adjustment to work right. I agree with the other posters; I like to get them "about right" by hand. The automatic adjustment should take over when it needs to.

Reply to
Joe

Hi again alll of you... I did the adjustment manually now, and it is now working great. Everything is OK now, so thank you all for helping me. Tor

Reply to
Tor Elling Rustad

Any FLAPS. H

Reply to
Hairy

not sure what FLAPS are. just have an oblong opening in backplate.

Any FLAPS. H

Reply to
stevef

Finally a.f.t was good for something? :)

What I want to hash out here with others is just how "snug" they leave the brake shoes when they're done.

My preference is just hear it touch a little when the drum is spun. No grippy spots. Since I do one side at a time I "put on the brakes" and let the shoes settle a few times and when I have a helper I do that with the wheel on and spinning too.

Not so important for my pickup with self adjusting brakes, I guess, but them old aircooled VWs it was needed to get a good-feeling brake job since they don't self-adjust.

Funny but a pretty high percentage of VW dune buggys have all the backing plate removed and only a skeleton left. The part that holds the wheel cylinder and the lower part that holds the adjusters.

Alvin in AZ

Reply to
alvinj

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