So recently my 95 Cherokee was stolen and totaled so I picked up a 97 Cherokee. Other than the normal issues it's a pretty solid vehicle.

Anyways after driving and heating the rear brake shoes the Jeep picks up this clunking from the left rear. As the shoes get hotter/stickier the clunking progressively gets worse and eventually will grab and lock up the wheel. Again, when the shoes and drum are cooled you can only hear the shoes dragging intermittently with rotation of the wheel, it does not clunk or lock up until hot. Since then I switched all rear brake drums, shoes, adjusters, springs and hardware from my 95 (which did not have that problem) and still have the same issue. I've read the TSB about the rear axle shaft for the Chrysler 8.25" axles but both of my Jeeps have the Dana 35 (flat bottom, correct?).

I've seen similar post with users who didn't explain it very well. Hopefully someone here has had the same issue?

Thanks!

 

Sounds like a spring broke inside the drum.

 

wheel cylinder is seizing replace it along with the brake shoes. But replace both wheel cylinders

 

Had something similar in my old 89 Dakota. I let the local Votech do my brakes because I was lazy and it was the worst idea I could have ever had. They couldn't find where the spring went for that star adjuster, so they threw it in the drum, leaving the adjuster to expand as it wanted. It locked the brake anytime I touched the brake causing me to go sideways a lot. Took off the drum (beat it off because the brakes were fully engaged) and found the problem. The shoes were heat cracked, but I didn't care so I just put the spring back on and it fixed my problem.