XJ rear brake assembly help

The adjuster should be engaged with the star wheel. If it is not touching, it won't adjust when you hit the brakes in reverse.

Mike

NickT wrote:

Bill, thanks for the links. I'm still confused, if you or anyone can give me more advice. My setup looks like the top half of the photograph, however, down by the star wheel is different. My adjusting arm and counter spring are BELOW the star wheel. It looks more like the not so complete picture from the service manual. Maybe mine works differently? In other words, the rest position keeps the arm slightly away from the star due to the placement of the counter spring. When the little cable becomes taught, it brings the arm up and gives the star an upward spin, tightening the brakes. Could this be? I've never been intimidated by rear brakes, no matter how mixed up the parts were, it always seemed like they only went back one way. I never had this dilemma. The answer lies in taking apart my TJ, but I can't schedule my wife to have it home long enough,lol. Thanks for any help. -Nick

Thanks Mike and Bill, I think I got it. I went and swapped cars and took the tj apart to compare. The adjuster cable should go on top of the retainer as the photo shows. It doesn't need to be seated on the same shoulder as the retainer piece. The cable is taught simply hooked on the same location as the springs. I took it apart to measure the cable. Put it back together, and then had a loose cable again. Ahha, now I know its me. Took a coffee and donut break, got a stool and stared at it for awhile. Re-assembled and payed more attention to the cable guide. I found that if its hastily installed, it doesn't sit flat against the shoe frame and causes slack in the adjuster cable. It would probably fall into place after some driving, but made me crazy. Thanks for your help. -Nick

Glad you got it.

There is a 50/50 chance the cable falls in place or jumps off when you start driving.

The one in the photo looks wrong somehow, I had a second look at it and that arm is just not in the right place, I think that would be a cable jumper.

The arm needs to be at the bottom to hold the cable tight. The cable then pulls the arm up when stopping in reverse and the spring pulls it back down to click the star wheel a notch until the slack is out of the brake shoes, then it just skips over the teeth.

I have seen a 'whole' lot that had fallen off after the last brake job when I have done shoes.

My 'Boss' has a Ford van and I did his brakes a bit ago and one rear shoe set had never touched the drum since they were installed at the dealer. Yup, that cable was just hanging loose. (anyone need a drivers side set of heavy shoes for a Ford 150 van?)

Mike

NickT wrote:

I think its just a different set-up. My adjuster is under the star and has hairpin type counterspring rather than the coil spring in the photo. My cable connects to the adjuster through a coil spring. I think the adjuster pictured would have to be threaded oposite as mine as well. To back mine off, I have to spin my wheel 'up' as viewed though the back access hole, this one looks like you'd have to spin it down from the back hole. Thanks for the info. -Nick

whoops.... hit the wrong key, I think I accidently sent this directly to Bill's email.

Different types. Some push and some pull. That one pushes and looks right.