djhives

Ok so as you all know - I was getting a ching chong ching sound coming from the right rear wheel on mah 92 5.0 e150

So I cracked open the drum today expecting to fins a loose spring or adjuster but instead found that the shows were down to the rivets -- no brake materal whatsoever just bare metal!

oh nose!

SO! -- I got some new brake shoes and a fresh hardware kit and began my first drum brake job in 10 years or so.

I made extra careful to take pics of everything and keep things in order. I got everything back together - but to my disappointment, when I had my concubine push on the brake pedal the pistons in the wheel cylinder (both) seemed to kind of push diagonal and up rather than straight out.

This means the shoes push out but since the wheel cylinder pistons get all sideways and cockeyed they dont retract back --

Can you all take a look at the video and tell me what you think the problem might be?


I've tried adjusting the adjusters, etc.. I triple checked everything! I even swapped the new springs in the autozone harware kit with the old ones to see if that made a difference -- no luck.


The only thing I can think of that I wasnt sure of is how far in the wheel cylinder pistons should be out -- I DID NOT push them in all the way when I began the job --- you know how on disc brakes you push the piston all the way in to begin service -- do you do that with wheel cylinder pistons too? Or leave them be and begin service?

Anyway heres the video it shows FOUR ATTEMPTS - each time I have the woman push the brake pedal with the car on -- and well watch what happend:


HALP!



Are my wheel cylinder pistons out too much? Should I retract them with a C-Clamp??

THANKS ALL!

skizriz

Without the drum on, they are over extending.

djhives

SO will they work fine with the drum on?

I see your logic -- Im not familiar with how far those little pistons come out and retract during normal operation ---

so your saying with the drum back on Ill be fine?

I thought you could crack off the drum and have someone push the pedal and you could see the operation work smoothly without the drum on...

do you think the pistons are out too far or does it look normal?

Why are the pistons getting all jammed up and DIAGONAL like that?

THNX -- SUPER THANX!

skizriz

The little piston things are just normally laying in the wheel cylinders. The only thing that holds them in place is the hole in the rubber boot, and tension from the springs on the shoes.
Normally the shoes will almost rub against the drums. There will be very little gap between them. The cylinders will only need to push the rods a fraction of an inch to apply the brakes.

Normally if you push the brakes with the drums off, it will pop the cups completely out of the wheel cylinders. Learned that the hard way.

Adjust your self adjusters so you can JUST slide your drum on. When you spin it, a LITTLE bit drag is ok. Put on a lug nut or two and then try the brakes.

As your shoes wear, the adjuster at the bottom widens to take up any slack. The cylinders will just apply pressure without really moving the shoes mutch at all. That's probably part of the reason the wheel cylinders rust up and quit working so often. There isn't much movement to them during normal usage.

djhives

I follow you on everything your saying - thanks --

I hear you about the clearance -- very little is needed -- gotcha --

You say the piston are normally closer to the rubber cups right?

My question is: do you think those pistons in my video are out too much -- mind you that position is where they rest now WIHTOUT the brake pressed - once you press the brake they go out andf get ****-eyed..

so basically im asking if you suggest I c-clamp those pistions to push them in more, OR do they look normal to you and I just need to put the drum back on, set it so the shoes barley drag the drum and im good to go??

Thanks for your quick help - I appreciate the Pennsylvania love

skizriz

Look at the pin at the top of the shoes, where your springs hook on to. If the shoes are closed tightly to it, they cant go any farther (compressing the cylinder). If there is a gap, I always grabbed the shoes and squeezed them tight (closed) by hand.

Does that make any sense?? It's kind of hard for me to explain.

Plus with the drum on it will keep the shoes from lifting up as they are doing in the video. Watch it a few times and imagine having the drum on keeping the shoes from moving anywhere but out a fraction of an inch. What is making everything lift like that is the springs.

You'll be fine. I'm sure of it.

djhives

Let me snap another pic of it -- I think I follow you -- I am trying to imagine the drum on there keeping it all together - and I hear you how the pistons only push out a smidgen...

I just --lol -- I just dont want them to lock up on me becasue in the video they DONT RETRACT back to normal position, they jam open (extended) ****-eyed ---

another question for you: I with the star adjust ALL the way tight - I can just barley put on the drum - is this normal?

I think I follow you though...

The actual action when you push the brakes is in fractions of an inch -- no matter what the piston always only moves a wee little bit -- and when the shoes wear the star adjuster keeps the shoes close to the drum maintaining that fraction of an inch piston action at the wheel cylinder....


Also Im going to post up another pic - its still cracked open in the driveway... let me know if it looks normal...

thanks again -- greeting from Killadelphia --

Ps where in PA are you?

Just call me Sean

iTrader: (1)

Yea man, put the drums back on. That's what keeps everything together. There should be a slight drag with the drums on.

djhives

^ enitre set-up




^ star adjuster adjusted 'max in' drums barley fit over shoes



^ up top connections



^ how the pistons (right side here) sit with the brake NOT applied

djhives

HA! there you are! Told you I wasn't driving it!


So everything looks normal to you? Im skuuurd of those shoes getting stuck 'open'/out and locking up the rear brakes! I need to be responsible like you told me to!