Rear Brake Adjustment...

[GAdams4570]

Hey Jimmy, if your brake peddle doesn't go down too far it could be the e-brake cable. Usually a lock nut on the threaded portion of the cable needs to be backed off and the tighten up the cable. Good luck!

 

[JGrefenstette]

yea i understand perfectly scott. thanks



GAdams, my pedal is actually extremely tight, i think the cable is adjusted perfectly, because if had to adjust it in the past. i have plenty of tension and pedal travel, just no action goin on out back

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

I've been told that if your rear brakes are real badly out of whack, that will cause your pedal to not come all the way back up all the time. Thats what mine does. It still feels good and tight, but you can pull it another 1/2 inch up from where it returns to naturally from the brake pressure. Another good way to find out is to jack up the rear end, turn the truck on (BLOCK THE FRONT TIRES!!!) put it in gear and press the brakes. Mine are so bad that my rear wheels spin when I do that.



Aw... darnit... you have a manual transmission. I forgot about that. Well if your brakes are as bad as mine, you can still do that. It'll just spin either way. If your brakes are good though... well... at very least you'll be stalling your motor.

 

[B.G. Smith]

Another good way to find out is to jack up the rear end, turn the truck on (BLOCK THE FRONT TIRES!!!) put it in gear and press the brakes. Mine are so bad that my rear wheels spin when I do that.



Aw... darnit... you have a manual transmission. I forgot about that. Well if your brakes are as bad as mine, you can still do that. It'll just spin either way. If your brakes are good though... well... at very least you'll be stalling your motor.

Probably not a good way to test the rear brakes. I saw a 1st generation whos clutch release had gone out trying to get out of a crowded flea market area one time. His engine was idling, he had his brakes applied enough that the front wheels were sliding in the dirt(maybe his rear brakes weren't working?) but he was still going forward at a good clip. Remember the Cummins develops somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 ft. lbs. of torque at idle. bg

 

[Tippin Spotted Cow]

Yeah, I have an auto transmission, so its a little different for me. I actually found this out by accident one day when I had the rears jacked off the ground trying to find the source of a strange noise and realized that once in gear, I had no way to stop them but shut the motor down so as to not grind it into park.



Anyway, the rear drums were basically designed by the same gentleman who invented the wheel, and really could use some tweaking. 99% of first gens out there could use a whole rear brake rebuild... at least the ones Ive seen anyway.

 

[JGrefenstette]

matt, couldnt you had put it in nuetral, let them stop spinning then quickly get it in park?



yea my pedal i can pick it up and inch or so, but after driving for a while it seems to be tight?



i can just jack up the rear, motor off, and have a buddy hold the brake pedal while i rotate the tires. shouldnt that difficult to confirm the shoes arnt contacting enough.