Blackcherokee290

Ok I have spent 2 days on my rear drums. Heres what I did: Took off Drums to check shoes, they were ok. Put RIGHT REAR drum back on. FORGOT LEFT REAR drum. I had installed new rear brakeline. Went to bleed brakes. I started with front Left wheel. BAM!!! The wheel cylinder on L REAR blew up. Pistons blew out, brake system drained out. 2 days later, 2 new wheel cylinders, new brake shoes, everythings back together. The freaken automatic adjuster lever on the L REAR wont touch the adjuster gear teeth. This allows the shoes to come out of adjustment. The R REAR is fine but not the L REAR? is it cause i blew up the L REAR? im a very patient person, but I am about to snap. I hear the "I told you so" in my dreams from my friend who told me to go to a shop and not do it myself.

Abovetimberline

No worries,take off the other side and look at it,you just have something a little out of adjustment,it does not matter what you did to it it will go back together,have patience,maybe take a break,and if all fails take a pic and post it,someone will see the issue.

storm101

are the springs new? Is the self adjuster cable in good condition? How do the teeth look on the starwheel adjuster?

New springs always help, especially if everything else is new, if the self adjuster cable is stretched, not run on the correct path or broke, its not gonna work right, if the teeth are worn on the star, that also would cause it to not touch...not sure if killing the cylinder would do that or not...but those would be the 3 main things i would check out anyways, theyre all cheap and easy

Dont discourage yourself about doing your own work either, especially on drum brakes, they have a lot of parts to them, but are pretty simple, just keep a good attitude about yourself, youre saving money and learning more about your jeep!

Blackcherokee290

Okay. would it be good to get the rebuild kit to get new springs? Cause Im thinking something got bent with the pressure involved in blowing up the cylinder. Im gonna try to take the pic with my laptop at some point. But I stared at it soo long today that I see drum brakes on my eyelids.

Abovetimberline

it does not hurt to put in new springs even if all is ok,the only time I blew the pins out is when the drum was left off,it should stay together because you cannot put enough pressure on them to hurt anything when the drum is on,you must have blew the seals and that would not hurt anything. But take a break look at it in the am. Drum brakes are an issue for alot of folks.

Blackcherokee290

Okay so new spring kit and adjuster cable are my next move then. Is a adjuster cable a pretty easy to find item?

storm101

Spring kits are like 5-8$ (1 kit covers both sides), and the adjuster cable is around 5-7 for one, pretty sure they sell the cables in kits with the starwheel adjusters and stuff too for like 20 something dollars

I know around here the cables for the 9in brakes were readily available separate and the 10inch were in that kit...

EDIT:

the prices are running from my local advance auto, not sure where you shop...

Abovetimberline

The adjuster is built into the shoes and springs,the cable is from your emergency cable,the adjuster is just the little arm attached to the shoe.
Are you talking about the little cable on the shoes?that should be fine unless you lost it.

storm101

...not sure what youre saying here haha

the cable im telling him to check into goes from the top post, runs down the side of the backing plate on a little c shaped unit, the bottom has a basket and a spring, connects to the plate that hits the starwheel


check steps 31-36 on here (anyone whos not following me to clarify)

http://4x4xplor.com/drum-brakes.html

thats the cable i speak of

Abovetimberline

I know what he is saying but it should be fine,I do not know how that could be bad unless it is not there,or one of the ends is missing.

Blackcherokee290

YEA. step 35 of above link. Thats the bugger!!! I just touch the cable lightly to apply pressure to the cable and the lever touches the ratchet....let go and the lever drops again. very frustrating as that tiny bit of space is all that keeps me from finishing, but very good as my brakes arent blown up.

storm101

they can stretch...or if it wasnt routed correctly, not put behind the springs up top, if the basket is tweaked on the bottom, or the spring in that basket is stretched....(they dont have that in the kits ive bought it comes on a new cable) or if that cable slid behind the "c" unit on reassembly...any of that could throw off what its intended to do....

if the drum was off when the brakes were applied, with it over extending the shoes and blowing the cylinder it may have at least tweaked something on it considering that c is on the shoe, and would move with it (further than what is intended).....idk i just feel its a good thing to check

Addition:

and plus you never know what the PO had done or did to the vehicle, could be a wrong cable....may not have been adjusting to begin with....just good to rule things out...or have it be the issue instead of overlooked

storm101

yeah...that would be it lol, check the routing of the cable, just to rule it out, check the basket and the spring too, if it looks tweaked change it out, also in the step 37 make sure that spring is installed the right way, ive messed them up before and it changes clearances....finicky drum brakes lol

Desert Rat

Anytime I do rear brakes I always get the hardware kit(new springs cable etc.). I also like to pull my adjusters apart and make sure they thread easely, if needed cleaning them up on the wire wheel and anti siezing them. Double check your lever that keeps them from backing off, they're ussualy marked L or R. My first guess from what you state is that the spring that holds the lever to the adjuster is not functioning correctly. Just a guess but might give you a starting point.

Blackcherokee290

storm101, what is this "basket" thing?