adjusting rear drum brakes
 

How can I tell if my rear drum brakes are properly adjusted on my 62 without driving it? Is there a certain amount of tire rotations I should be looking for or a certain amount of drag?

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

If the shoes are new (0 miles) and the drums have been resurfaced, here's how it's done.. With the tire installed, tighten the shoes until they're tight against the drum.. TIGHT, this aligns the shoes at their mounting points. Then loosen the adjustment until you can rotate the tire with some effort, not freely rotate.. That should be all you have to do.. Within a few miles, the fuzz will wear off the shoes and you'll have the correct "drag" and clearance...

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

Thanks for all the info. I guess from the beginning I should have said that they were not new brake pads or resurfaced drums.

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

OK, in that case, remove the wheel/tire.. Check the drum to be sure there is not a ridge at the lip (inside edge) of the drum caused by wear.. If there is no ridge, tighten the shoes a little bit at a time -- one or two clicks of the adjuster. Do this until the drum will slip on an off with a bit of effort.. This is not a routine procedure, but gives an opportunity to check the shoes and drum for wear.

What gives you the idea that your brakes need adjusting or there's a problem?? Unless I'm mistaken, your truck is equipped with self adjusting brakes..

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

I installed a mew Emergency brake cable and tried to adjust it but after doing so it would not pull tight enough to engage. Later on I had the truck at my transmission mechanic for a completely different reason. While it was up in the air I asked him to take a look at my emergency brake cable. He told me that it was not working because the rear brakes needed to be adjusted but he didn't want to do that. Later on I took it to a different mechanic for another completely different reason and they told me that they opened up the drums and they were covered in rear end fluid. A couple of years ago I had my rear end rebuilt and a couple of months later I noticed that the seals were leaking onto the brakes so I returned it to the rear end shop and they replaced them but told me that if they start leaking again I probably have worn axles and that they would need to be replaced. I was about to go back to the rear end shop and see about getting new axles but then I thought to my self. I don't really trust the second mechanic anymore so I want to make sure that they really looked inside the brakes instead of just saw residue from the previous leak and assumed that they were leaking.

So my plan is to look inside the drums this weekend and see if they are really leaking and if they are not I want to adjust them.

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

Well surely the shop that did the axle seals both times would have cleaned up the area.. In any event, if gear lube, or brake fluid, gets on the brake shoe linings, they are ruined and need to be replaced. About the emergency brake cable.. If you can't get it tight enough without bottoming the adjustment nuts, you either have the wrong cable or cable guides are missing or positioned wrong. Get your hands on a service manual for the year of your truck.. It's all covered in the brake section, including diagrams and procedures. There are several sites that offer these manuals.. Many sites offer them as free downloads..

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

Thanks for your help.

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

My driver rear drum is dragging. Trying to adjust it from the rear so do I move the adjusting wheel down or up on that side? I remember someone somewhere said the drivers and passenger are opposite threaded?

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

The brake adjuster lever will click against the star wheel as you tighten the brakes, and to loosen you will need to use a screwdriver to push the adjuster lever away from the star wheel to turn the star wheel in the loosening direction. Dragging can be caused by leaking wheel cylinder, or leaking bearing seal, or binding parking brake cable/conduit. I suggest post pictures of what you have going on.

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

no brake adjuster lever on '61. Im trying to figure out if I turn the adjuster up toward truck or down towards ground to loosen.

Re: adjusting rear drum brakes
 

Should be turning it up