I took apart the rear brakes last week to rebuild them and now can't remember if there were notched pushrods connecting the wheel cylinders to the shoes. All my parts went into a small box and there are no pushrods to be found. Some of the pics I've looked at show them and some don't. Does anyone know if they were ever really there???

 

The FSM displays a typical drawing of a wheel cylinder which indicates the presence of push rods. Did you also remove/disassemble the wheel cylinders? Seems like a dream to me that one/some of my push-rods were "stuck" to the shoe and came off with them (or was that in my buddy's Ford?). I should remember this because I rebuilt my Jeep's rear brakes just a couple of months ago (they say that memory is the second thing that fails while aging - I forget the first thing). Start the rebuild - you'll know if they're missing as you get closer to completing your first assembly...

 

No pushrods.......

 

I didn't do the cylinder. I guess after work i will pull off the other drum and see what's in that side. I live out in the sticks so was trying to avoid yet another trip to town if they somehow got lost and I need to find a replacement

 

He just showed you a pic of a new wheel cylinder, there are no push rods. The brake shoe rests against the cylinder.

 

Right! That's a pic of a new wheel cylinder. Don't the push-rods come in a separate baggy (if/when provided)? Now you've got me doubting myself...maybe it was my bud's old Ford.

 

When I replaced my wheel cylinders a few months ago the new cylinders did not come with new push rods. I reused the old ones, if you lost them don't panic. They are cheap, around two and a half dollars each!

 

I think I'm onto something! It's possible that the 9" shoes don't use pushrods but the 10" do. Here is a write up that shows my set up exactly and it does not use the pushrods.
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/ho...-58947/index2/

 

neither the d35 or c8.25 in the 9 or 10" have push rods, The wheel cylinder pushes against the brake shoes

 

My '88 D 35 10" sure does have pushrods with notches for the shoes!

 

For the smaller drum 8.25, this is the basic setup. Nothing between the cylinder and the shoes, but there is a notched spreader bar with a small spring on it between the shoes just under the cylinder.

 

I dont remember what size brakes i had but my 88 didnt have push rods

If the new shoes you have look like the ones above then you dont have push rods