Going on day two of adjusting new 9x2.5" drum brakes on 1996 XJ Sport, manual.

Yesterday I adjusted the star adjusters. Passenger side went on with the drag described as right. However, I left it on when I adjusted the driver's side and thought it was about right with a slight adjustment. Going to try that one drum on at a time today.

Before assembling shoes and hardware, adjusted out the emergency brake until there was slack in both cables. Could see on passenger side that the spring end at the lever/trailing shoe was relaxed (had been really tight). Put everything together, did the above mentioned adjustment, set the ebrake to third click then tightened up the ebrake screw (with nickle antiseize) until both cables were tight. Passenger side seemed tighter than driver's side. Could not turn passenger drum but driver's side turned with resistance.

Wrongly, probably, thought the adjusters would even it out. In reality, ebrake does not hold anything, but the vehicle stops fine, better than before replacing all the parts.

Plan for today is try star adjustment one drum on at a time, with ebrake loosened out, and try to get those feeling even. Then come back and check what y'all say some more.

 

Here is the wear pattern from first install and adjustment:
Driver's side

Driver's side lead shoe

Driver's side trailing shoe

Driver's side edge of drum barely turned a little straw color
After driving a couple of miles the driver's side got to about 235F using an IR thermometer. After readjusting it gets around 285F

Passenger Side:


Passenger side lead shoe.

Passenger side trailing shoe.

Pronounced straw color of machined edge of drum.
Passenger side was around 385F after first adjustment and install. Only drove it about three miles on that adjustment. Now about 430F after driving ten miles or so.

Passenger side cannot get any looser without wear, everything went in snug and dragged like the examples stated. I double checked passenger side and removed drum, then adjusted driver's side until it was dragging tighter than first adjustment, about the same as opposite side. Remounted both drums and still getting uneven heat out of them. However, it doesn't have the slight pull right that it had after first adjustment.

Is 400F too hot for drums?

Do I just need to let them wear in with short trips?

 

It certainly looks like you're getting quite a bit of brake drag. Those temps are just from driving, not doing lots of hard stops, right? If so, that's a lot of dragging. Have you tried a few hard (just shy of lockup) stops to bed the shoes and drums? Perhaps that would help. Is everything lubed up?

 

Actually, I had a hard-ish stop on the last short trip and got a rear end shudder. When I got home one or two miles later, temp on the passenger side was in 300F range, left side was a little lower in the 200s.

I lubed everything up with ceramic silicone from Permatex and doused everything (but the shoes) with silicone spray.

Yes, those earlier temps were from just driving around normal.

 

They certainly sound like high temps. You should be able to turn both drums with no resistance or scraping noises, in reality, I find that you can't avoid minor scraping noises as new parts just aren't that accurate, unless you way under adjust them. One thing you can check related to your e-brake adjustment is remove the drums and see if there's any gap between the lower shoes and the adjuster/spacer. If there is any gap, the e-brake is over adjusted.

Although self adjusters can be a pain, when cleaned up and free, they do their job. You're better off with slightly under adjusted brakes which can adjust themselves up, provided that they don't cause excessive pedal travel.

 

Made sure the brake shoes were tight to the star adjusters before putting the drums on. Did the press/smack/press to the shoes and looked for any gap down there.

But the e-brake is adjusted almost all the way out, loose. No e-brake for now until I get the regular brakes in order. Yesterday when I tightened up the e-brake rod, until the right drum would not move with it on click three, I released it, put the tires on, and it didn't stop it a bit on a shallow slope.

 

Get em close, but not tight.Slight drag. Go drive it. The self adjusters work when you're backing up........

 

Did not know that, thought it was just with the handbrake.

Time for a weird backwards drive home I guess.

 

Where did you get your parts...a few years ago i got advance autoparts drums and bonded shoes for my 01....could not make them fit dragged hard all the time even with adjusters screwed in to max...I ended up with autozone riveted shoes with the advance drums...all fit fine...going on 3 or 4 years now with no issues

 

Oh yes the factory manual has you self adjust the drums by driving backwards slowly set brakes hard once then go forward set hard once....repeat as needed....if you pull off the oval rubber seal at the inside of each drum backing plate you can adjust the brakes fairly evenly with a flat screwdriver...just need to remember which way to spin the star wheel for each side

 

AC Delco drums and bonded shoes from AC Delco on Amazon. Russell speed bleeders from Russell on Amazon.
AC Delco cylinders, Carlson hardware kit, Permatex silicone ceramic grease from Rock Auto.
Stainless steel rear axle brake lines from Inline Tube.

 

Stopped in at Budget Brakes to ask a few questions. Asked what the normal temps are for drum brakes. He said "They get hot enough to cook on, yea" and I replied "So about 250 or 300 is regular temp?"
He said "No that is way high"

Not sure what he is cooking below 250F.

 

He's just spouting off......like fake news. Just go drive it. See post 10.

 

I did notice an error in my adjustment ways. Knew about reversing and stopping for the self adjusters to do their work, and I usually back out of the driveway. However, I was not parked that way when I finished the initial install. Took off and drove forward for about a mile, only did one little reverse. That was when I was getting 400F+ on the passenger side.

Today I did the serious back up, stop, numerous times. I even have a handy somewhat steep road right in front of the house. Went out for an errand, backed up and went forward repeatedly in a nearby parking lot, checked temps when I got to the store. They were closer, driver's side under 100F, passenger side a little higher.

Got home to my handy hill and let it roll back, stomped brakes, about three times in a set, then drove forward, used brakes to stop, and did the rollback and stop thing again, several more times. Only hit the mailbox once.

Checked temps, both sides 140F range. Need to check it on a longer drive of course.

 

Afterthought, after taking everything apart I used brake parts cleaner to clean up backing plates. Maybe should have used PB Blaster for that step, then used brake parts cleaner after.

And as long as this took, painting the backing plates and drums with POR-15 caliper paint would not have slowed down anything.