Hi there everyone. I just got done replacing brake drums and shoes in the rear. I figured I'd test them out while the jeep was still up on jacks. Much to my disappointment, the brakes did not even have enough power to stop the wheels from spinning; they spun very slowly. Now I understand the rears are not supposed to lock up for safety/handling issues, however with *no* load working against them (freely spinning in the air) it seems to me that they should easily be able to lock up. What's the deal here? Can wheel cylinders go bad without showing any signs of leaks and not apply proper pressure? Is my master cylinder going bad? Do the brakes just have to wear into alignment first?

P.S. I have 33"x12.5" tires, still though, pedal to the floor should be able to lock them the hell up.

 

Totally forgot relevant information: 99XJ, non ABS, 9" drum brakes, totally new hardline running to the rear, new stainless braided line down to the axle and new hard lines from the mating block to the cylinders. Brakes have been bled rather recently.

 

did you adjust the brakes when finished ? flat screwdriver on the star wheel will do wonders

 

Yep, brakes were adjusted

 

Anyone got an idea? I need to get this issue sorted out so I can move on to other repairs...

 

Did you ever figure it out, Im having brake issues now myself.