Projects Drum Brake Dragging

The drum has been rubbing against the edge of the backing plate enough it wore through on the top left side. I also suspect the drum is likely rubbing on the right side where the lip is no longer round.

In this picture it appears that maybe the top of the right brake shoe edge may be rubbing on the backing plate as well. Wouldn't have to rub much to build up heat pretty fast.

On my 49 Dodge, I bought two new pairs of 9" brake drums to get one set I could live with. I have one straight drum, and one drum with a tolerable warp that gets a little worse every year. The other two are warped so bad the drums won't even turn with the wheel bolted on, but no one around here turns brake drums anymore.

 

Honestly, the drums look awful, hard to be sure without checking wear and for out of round, the springs look sketchy and the backing plate on the hot side is junk. In the world I live in your brakes need serious work. I would check - recheck every aspect of your brake system. If your backing plate is bent in a way that holds the shoes crooked or allows the drum and backing plate to rub that's going to create a lot of heat right there.

 

Springs look reversed, springs should be pinched closed so they don't move/pull when brakes are applied, the self adjuster lever in the last pic isn't even close to being where it can adjust the star wheel (pulled cable or improperly set up) and the backing plate looks sketchy/tweaked.

I went through some Raybestos cl***es paid for by the shop I worked for many years ago, back when drum brakes were the norm. These type of brakes are self energizing so if they don't retract they keep self energizing! As hot as that he gotten I would put new hardware on both sides and go from there.

 

Here is a picture of a 9" ford rear brake set up from the web. The top springs are different sizes and diameters. Also it looks like the cross bar in your picture is not seated correctly.

 

I’m not sure she you think you’re seeing but there are no spots where the drum has touched the backing plate.

the only shiny spot on the backing plate is where I cleaned up and lubricated the pad where the shoe is supposed to touch the backing plate.

 

Different brakes on a 9”vs the 8.8 that I have

 

New spring kit would be a good place to start.

Wrap a bungee cord around the shoes and have somebody apply the brakes with even pressure enough that both shoes move (you might have to restrict one shoe or the other with a bar between the shoe and backing plate lip to get both to move) and then watch closely what happens to each shoe when they are released.

Sure is odd that brakes adjusted as loose as those appear would even get warm.

 

This seems like there is almost no tension on this spring.