Technical Adjusting Brake Shoes.. How do you do it?

I wanted to start a thread on the many different ways to adjust drum brakes without self adjusters.. There's always a better way out there no matter how old you are..lol

 

This will not help, but I hate adjusting them ****ers!

 

I have manual adjusters on my Ford, never saw the point in changing the hardware over since I drive it around 4000 miles a year and I adjust them a couple of times during that period.

For the initial adjustment with new shoes, I bevel the leading and trailing shoe ends with a wood rasp, just to knock the sharp corners off for better break in. I work the star wheels by hand so the drum just slips on nicely. I hold the drum on with 3 lug nuts and adjust the shoes for a slight drag. Then I rap around the outside of the drum by the shoes with a hammer (wear ear plugs) and this settles the shoes. The drum will turn easier. I give it another adjustment, repeat the hammer thing. By then it should be close to where I want it. I'll drive the car for about a week and give it a final adjustment, so there is slight drag when I rotate the wheels.

The pedal should be pretty high and hard after a good adjustment. When my pedal starts to lose that, I do the adjustment thing.

 

When you do between 800 & 1000 brake jobs a year it becomes a piece of cake.

 

See, I've been doing it for decades and never knew about dinging the drum with a hammer! Thanks!!

 

I've recently been adjusting bias by jacking the rear end up and running the car. I have a standard rear end so I figure the side that's spinning needs a couple clicks until both sides spin the same.
I'm using star adjusters from a self adjusting set, they are finer and I'm think I can get a closer tune..

Update, the fine threaded adjusters work well...

 

Use a rubber hammer

 

I would caution hitting the cast iron drum with a hammer


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What kind of car are you working on?

 

Of course not beating the **** out of it... just a few raps per shoe.

 

A "Dead Blow Hammer" or br*** hammer will be fine.

 

I knew that's what you meant, just wanted to caution people who may not know. Some people should not be allowed to own a hammer!

 

Click the star in the correct direction until the shoes are tight against the drum and the tire won't turn. Back off 7 clicks. Learned this from dad who ran a Western Auto repair shop in Glendale Ca. in the 30's 40's before becoming a machinist during WWll. Working in the brake shop for Sears Inglewood in the 60's we did exactly the same thing. I do it now on my 56 Ford.
If you've got self adjusters, I get them as close as I can with the drum being able to slide on and off. Drive out out on the street, put the car in reverse and back up applying the brakes while backing. Do not be gentle but not skidding the tires. Do 1/2 dozen times. At least once a months apply brakes with reasonable forc while backing up even if it out a driveway to keep drum brakes adjusted correctly.

 

That's the way I was taught, adjust out tight then back off for slight drag and yes it was usually around 5-7 clicks.

 

Don't feel all warm and fuzzy if you do have self adjusting drums. Even factory fresh drum brakes with self adjusting hardware do a lousy job of maintaining adjustment. They need to be checked and adjusted manually as part of regular maintenance.
-Dave

 

I disagree, Dave.
I've had great luck with self adjusters on Mopar Products & Ford Products.
No issues at all.
Just my experience
Jim

 

This is true, the big reason for not going with the self adjusters on my '59 Ford. I'm under the car doing something often enough, takes all of a few minutes to give the rears a tweak now and then.

 

On old Ford's with the cam adjustment it's tricky to get the tops and bottoms of each shoe exactly alike so I turned the face off a drum to where I can SEE where the shoes are. Once they are pre-set I carefully turn the 11/16 hex head on the backing plate the same amount for final adjustment. So far it has helped speed up the process. An old Motor's Manual (mines a 49) gives a really good step by step if no "Dummy" drum.

 

Self adjusting brakes still have to be adjusted the first time when you do a brake job.
I was taught by my high shop teacher tighten them up until the drum won't turn and back them off 11 clicks and that is how I have normally done it and how I taught my students and a few rookie brake guys when I was doing several brake jobs a day most days I worked for Firestone store. 7/8 /11 it's what feels best to the guy doing it.
I've found that if you don't back up and hit the brakes a lot the self adjusters don't always get it done even if they are working perfectly.

 

Yep, that works great. But, to expand on that, use a dead blow hammer and you don't need hearing protection.