F1Addict

I'm guessing you need to keep adjusting the star gear. 12 clicks is probably not enough as that would be not much more than one revolution of the threaded adjuster. The fact that it improved your braking suggests your headed in the right direction.

centuryhouse

OK, I'll try it out then! I was afraid I would overdo it, and then be stuck with the brakes too tight against the drum and be unable to undo it.

Waynerd

Did that help? I tipped over the bottle I was bleeding mine into and the fluid looked weird. Almost like maybe water was in it. Going to flush my lines I guess and see if that helps. Didn't see bleeders on my rear brakes. Is this common?

TwistedWrench

This. When properly adjusted, your rear drums should drag slightly. If not the brakes will feel weak, as the initial hydraulic pressure is simply "taking up the slack" instead of applying outward pressure against the drums. Ditto for your e-brake/parking brake/handbrake/u-turn handle... whatever you choose to call it.

This leaves your front brakes doing even more of the work than they already do, as they receive their fluid pressure the same regardless of your rear adjustments. Nose-dive or locking the front wheels is the result, neither of which are good.

centuryhouse

I got under it and adjusted the drivers side a few more clicks worth, but the passenger side went up one more click, and then stopped. The adjuster wheel feels frozen and wont budge.

TwistedWrench

Not sure if you've had it done, but you may be in need of new adjusters. You should be able to runs that adjuster well past the point where you can no longer move the wheel by hand(not where it should be at, but it should be possible to do).

Now, another good possibility, iirc you recently replaced the rear shoes right? You may just have the wrong shoes. For instance, if you fit a 10" drum assembly with shoes for 9" drums, they will assemble and go together, but they'll never function properly. This would explain your persistent weak rear brakes, and the fact that you seem to have maxed out your adjuster.

Believe me, it wouldn't be the first time a counter guy handed off incorrect parts, these things happen.

centuryhouse

Wow, that's an interesting idea and very possibly the issue.

The shop that did the brake job, also put the wrong size sway bar bushings on which I had to replace myself a few weeks ago So it's totally conceivable that they put the wrong size on.

How do you know which size you should have?

TwistedWrench

Pull a rear wheel off, the drum itself will be marked with the size. Then call the shop and tell them to check their records and see what shoes they installed. If they indeed installed 9" shoes into 10" drums they need to fix it ASAP, as this can also lead to your wheel cylinders failing.

Then, never take your Jeep there again.

Part of a brake job is adjusting everything out after the parts are installed. Any mechanic worth his salt would've realized the brakes were not adjusting out correctly, and fixed the problem. Of all things to give the "meh, that's close enough"... your brakes are not it.

Klutch

Good advice just above. It is indeed sounding like whomever did your brake job did not do it correctly. I have a 2000 XJ. I redid the brakes on it last January and stops on a dime.

Up front, I bought good quality front pads. I had the rotors machined and I cleaned and lubed the calipers. Out back, the pads and drums were in good shape, but they were way out of adjustment. I removed the shoes and cleaned everything thoroughly with brake cleaner. I lubed the hard points and the adjusting star with caliper grease. Then I bled the whole system really well.

When I adjust the shoes, I get them tight enough so I can't turn the drum by hand. Then I back them off until they're just barely dragging. This seems to work well. Getting them really tight might even the shoes out, or something. I'm not sure. I buy brake components for my Mustang through an old guy who really knows brakes and that's the method he recommends.

centuryhouse

Funny you mention a Mustang - the last time I touched drum brakes I completely screwed up my 70 Mustang's rear brakes and they never worked right again while I owned the car. Of course, that was 1990 and there was no internet or You-Tube

Where on the drum is the 9 or 10 mentioned - I don't remember seeing that when I saw them last?

TwistedWrench

Typically on the outermost edge facing out.

For example, a 10" drum will have stamped something like;

"MAX DIA 10.06"

on the edge staring at you when you pull the wheel off.

TwistedWrench

Generic drum pic, but you'll get the idea, look at the upper right of the drum...p

centuryhouse

Excellent, thanks.

Last question (for now) - once I get the drum off, is there a way to measure the shoes to see if they are the 9" or 10"?

TwistedWrench

Eh, kinda, but if you take a shoe off and fit it into the drum, the curve should match that of the drum. If they're too small, the middle of the shoe will contact the drum & the edges will not.