How hot should these get? I recently posted about the rear driver's side smoking last night after a recent accident. I replaced the shoes in both rear brakes today and hosed all the old parts down with brake cleaner. Both rear brakes had a LOT of dust in them. Both drums were easy to remove and replace, slipped right off the old shoes and right onto the new with no problems. The inside of the drums were free of scoring or problems and felt smooth to the touch.
I ran about 20 miles tonight and nothing was smoking... good thing! I am a bit confused though, I checked the drum that was smoking last night, it is hot after running several miles and parking the Jeep, but I can hold a finger on it until it cools off without a problem. The other one is another story, I can only hold a finger on it for a few seconds without feeling like I am going to get burned and it obviously takes longer to cool although there is no visible smoke or fluid leakage.
Sorry for the long post, but I am at a loss. Is this normal? If not, does anyone know what I should be looking for here?

 

seems like your shoes are dragging but its weird how the drums are easy to take off...are the new drums? and if they are did you remove the packaging oil from them before installation...if not the drum is glazed hence the heat or your leaking brake fluid and its creating a glaze on both...or you axle shaft seals are leaking creating the glazed surfaces

 

ANY stops using the brakes (as opposed to a brick wall) will create friction. How hot, not sure, but it will yank up a blister on your finger faster than you can say "Damn that was hot"

Ron

 

They are the original drums, I will have to pull them Saturday and reinspect them. I guess run them down to my local NAPA to have them turned either way?

True, using a wall may eliminate brake heat, but I can imagine regular bumper replacement may be a bit more than brake hardware...