Automatic Brake Adjusters

You can pull out the emergency brake about a hundred times or you can get under the truck and adjust the brakes from behind the wheel in about 15 minutes.

I think that what he was trying to say is that some (most Ive found) auto adjusters will tention up when you drive backwards with slight thottle jabbing the brakes a few times while still slightly powering wheels. Dont knwo exactly why but my ole man told me this and hes a mechanic. This works mainly when you have brakes set close to what they should be not miles out.

Worth a trip or two down the driveway in reverse though eh.

I've found that "automatic brake adjusters" is one hell of an oxymoron, at least for me it has been. I adjust them by hand instead of making myself dizzy doing it the "normal" way. That's just me though, you may have better luck than I getting them to adjust "automatically".

Automatic brake adjusters work by one of two methods...while braking during backing (not ahead), or by using the parking brake. My Tundra has the parking brake linkage connected to the adjuster; I don't know how they did it in '85. Did you see a connection between the parking brake cable and some levers that worked the adjuster? If so, get under the truck and pull the cable a coupl'a dozen times on each side. You will hear it clicking as it adjusts. When it stops clicking it is adjusted.

Or, do it the old way...turn the adjuster star wheel through the port in the backing plate with an adjuster tool or screwdriver.

Ken

Jerry wrote:

Scotty wrote this:

Toyota doesn't work this way. The first three messages should have been a clue.

One problem I had with my drums was a lip around the outside edge that made the drums a pain to remove and reinstall. Took a die grinder to that, fortunately there was not much needed to remove.

If the lip is too high, perhaps the shoes have to be super loose to get the drum on. Or perhaps the shoes were not properly seated when the OP finished the install. Either way, go through the backplate and turn the star wheel for best results.

To my knowledge, you will have either "star adjusters" or automatic adjusters.You will not have both.You have star adjusters (as I do on my 86). These may be adjusted by removing the rubber access plugs on the brake backing plate so that you can adjust the "star" with 2 screwdrivers.Your truck does not have automatic adjusters that your neighbor spoke of.Auto adjusters utilize a small ratchet which will click to the next level when you back up and then brake firmly. Todd

screwdrivers.Your

All drum brakes have star adjustors. And all that I am aware of have "automatic" adjustments operated by backing up or the parking brake.

FYI, the original VW Beetle, with drum brakes, had star adjusters, but they weren't automatic. Every once in a while, you'd need to get into the drum to take up some slack.

You haven't adjusted brakes till you've done all 4 wheels on an old Landcruiser with dual-cylinder shoes.

Not sure about the automatic adjust, but if your brake pedal goes to the floor, it sounds to me like you need to bleed the brakes. Good luck.

This kind of reminds me of the mechanic that told the car owner: "We couldn't fix your brakes, so we made your horn louder."

Unfortunately what you describe is for US made cars. All the Japanses machines I have worked on use the parking brake to adjust the rear shoes.

-Pete

Scotty wrote: