2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Emergency Brake Adjustment

[OMitch]

How are the emergency brakes adjusted on a Ram 2500? My emergency brake no longer will set properly. It seems to be out of adjustment. I have not been able to find an answer in the Tech Doc I have. Any suggestions?

 

[RKlaassen]

If you have rear discs, the emergincy brake shoes are adjusted through a slot in the drum backing plate that allows access to a star wheel, just like the old non-self adjusting brakes from 40 years ago. A real pain, but that's how it's done. A screwdriver works, but not great. Good luck.

 

[jtisdale]

I think there was also a TSB for the cables stretching, but there is some adjustment on them. My e-brake is out of wack also and I need to re-adjust the cables and the star wheels.

 

[jelag]

Before you adjust the cable on rear drum brakes... . make sure that your rear shoes are correctly adjusted... . often we don't back up enough to self adjust the rear brakes..... and if you adjust the cable with the rear shoes out of adjustment you won't get good results... .



Get the wheel off the ground... . and use a screw driver or adjusting tool and adjust the "star adjuster" while your spin the tire... . if you have limited slip you'll have to have both rear wheels off the ground... . keep adjusting until the brake shoes start to drag in the drum... ... . start the truck and pump the brake pedal a few times to recenter the shoes... ... and check them again... . most of the time we find that you end up spinning the star adjuster 3 or 4 turns to take up the slack. . and now not only does the brakes function better but the emergency brakes usually come in where it should... .....



Do the same on the other side... and you've got it..... Hope this helps...

 

[OMitch]

Thanks for the information. Will attempt the adjustments suggested tomorrow.

 

[JSimoneaux]

Sorry to bring back an old thread but does anyone have detailed instructions on this rear drum brake adjustment, maybe a couple pictures?

 

[HEMI®Dart]

Before you adjust the cable on rear drum brakes... . make sure that your rear shoes are correctly adjusted... . often we don't back up enough to self adjust the rear brakes..... and if you adjust the cable with the rear shoes out of adjustment you won't get good results... .



Get the wheel off the ground... . and use a screw driver or adjusting tool and adjust the "star adjuster" while your spin the tire... . if you have limited slip you'll have to have both rear wheels off the ground... . keep adjusting until the brake shoes start to drag in the drum... ... . start the truck and pump the brake pedal a few times to recenter the shoes... ... and check them again... . most of the time we find that you end up spinning the star adjuster 3 or 4 turns to take up the slack. . and now not only does the brakes function better but the emergency brakes usually come in where it should... .....



Do the same on the other side... and you've got it..... Hope this helps...

JSimoneaux,



Jim's post is right on the money. Put a floor jack under rear differential. Make sure parking brake is released. Get a light. Remove one of lower the rubber dust plugs (not the ones that are further up of the backing plate. These are to inspect shoe lining wear) shine the light in and see it the hole lines up with the star wheel. If it does not, remove the other dust plug.



Get a medium sized screwdriver. Spin the wheel. Listen to hear if there is brake shoe on drum noise. This is the drag noise. If the wheel "backs-up" after you stop spinning it, this is a good sign you shoes are out of adjustment.



If they are out of adjustment, while spinning the wheel, use the screwdriver to click the star wheel UP. Try 1 click. If you don't hear the shoe on drum drag noise, go another click till you hear a slight drag. If you drums are warped (if they have been turned once) you may only hear the drag in a certain spot. Don't go to tight on your shoe to drum drag. You only want a slight drag.



After this adjustment you will notice the parking brake will work with much less pedal travel, and your regular brakes will work better (less pedal pressure needed). You can feel the rear shoes working.



Let me know how you made out.



Let us know how you made out

 

[HEMI®Dart]

New issue of the TDR #55

Anybody else disagree w/ Jim Anderson's rear brake adjustment, Page 60?



"... . by turning the wheel during the adjusting of the star wheel, you can feel the brake shoes begin to contact the drum. When contact is made, turn the star wheel in the opposite direction 3-5 "clicks", until no brake drag is felt or heard. "



If you back the star wheel off 3-5 clicks after a slight drag is heard, your brakes are now back out of adjustment or worse than before you started.

 

[Nate]

Plus you can't turn the star wheel backwards anyhow. At least not on my truck.



I turn it until it drags a bit. It's hard to tell on my truck though with the Detroit locker.

 

[JSimoneaux]

JSimoneaux,



Jim's post is right on the money. Put a floor jack under rear differential. Make sure parking brake is released. Get a light. Remove one of lower the rubber dust plugs (not the ones that are further up of the backing plate. These are to inspect shoe lining wear) shine the light in and see it the hole lines up with the star wheel. If it does not, remove the other dust plug.



Get a medium sized screwdriver. Spin the wheel. Listen to hear if there is brake shoe on drum noise. This is the drag noise. If the wheel "backs-up" after you stop spinning it, this is a good sign you shoes are out of adjustment.



If they are out of adjustment, while spinning the wheel, use the screwdriver to click the star wheel UP. Try 1 click. If you don't hear the shoe on drum drag noise, go another click till you hear a slight drag. If you drums are warped (if they have been turned once) you may only hear the drag in a certain spot. Don't go to tight on your shoe to drum drag. You only want a slight drag.



After this adjustment you will notice the parking brake will work with much less pedal travel, and your regular brakes will work better (less pedal pressure needed). You can feel the rear shoes working.



Let me know how you made out.



Let us know how you made out

Is this a flat or phillips head screw? As soon as my driveway is dry I'll check this out, thanks.

 

[Nate]

Flat.



You turn the little adjuster wheel up and down, the screwdriver fits in the notches on the wheel.

 

[JGK]

Plus you can't turn the star wheel backwards anyhow. At least not on my truck.



I turn it until it drags a bit. It's hard to tell on my truck though with the Detroit locker.

You can turn it backward, but you have to use another screwdriver in another slot and push the lever arm away from the star wheel. This lever arm is what rotates the wheel to take up the slack when you mash the brakes in reverse



It's a pain, but it can be done.



-Jay

 

[Ragain]

JGK has it right... Just EXACTLY as the shoes were adjusted on older model vehicles equipped with drums and automatic brake adjusters. Parts stores have drum brake adjusting tools for cheap... Get two so that you can back off the shoes if you get them too snug.

Look for any oil that may be seeping from axle housing/hub seal. The parking brakes don't hold very well when they are dry let alone when they have been soaking in differential lube!

 

[jtisdale]

I think there was also a TSB for the cables stretching, but there is some adjustment on them. My e-brake is out of wack also and I need to re-adjust the cables and the star wheels.

Ok nevermind, I have the rear disc... sorry.

 

[Ragain]

Yes. The previous posts were for parking brake adjustment on disk brakes.

 

[JSimoneaux]

Yes. The previous posts were for parking brake adjustment on disk brakes.

So the star wheel I was just messing with on my rear drums isn't the adjuster? I looked around and found that I can't move one of the wheels and the other moved fine but didn't seem to help at all with the brakes.

 

[JSimoneaux]

Oh and I need to stop checking things on this truck, while checking the ebrake I noticed that the rubber around my centering bearing on my drive shaft is shot.

 

[Ragain]

JSimoneaux... . I don't see info on your truck. Do you have a model with rear drum brakes?

I think the thread started with parking brake adjustment for rear disk brakes.

 

[JSimoneaux]

JSimoneaux... . I don't see info on your truck. Do you have a model with rear drum brakes?

I think the thread started with parking brake adjustment for rear disk brakes.

Yeah I have rear drums, 98 2WD QC 12v 5 speed.

 

[Ragain]

Oh... I haven't adjusted any of those. Do you think you backed off your adjuster instead of tightening it? They may be left hand thread like on the older cars.

Either way, I would imagine you can only turn the star wheel one way to snug the shoes up without using 2 spoon tools.