2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Rear drum shoes, how many and where from?

[NPloysa]

If I have this right, there are 4 shoes for the rear drums, correct? 1 long, 1 short in each drum? How are they priced/sold, per wheel or per shoe? Who do you recommend buying them from?



I have searched on how to adjust the rear drums and can't exactly figure it out. I am going to change oil and rotate tires tomorrow before the snow flies, so while I am at it I will check the front and rear brakes also. I have done the fronts before, those are easy, but how about the rears?



My parking brake is also touchy, doesn't grab like it used to, either it needs adjustment, or the rear drums are wearing down.



Thanks for all your help!



Nick

 

[n7gxz]

Nick,



Shoes are sold per-axle (two long, two short) per box and both sides should be changed at the same time. To adjust them there is an oblonged access hole at the bottom of the backing plate, there maybe two of them and they should have a plastic/rubber plug in them. Remove the rearword plug and then using a screwdriver feel around and you should find what is called a star wheel, a disk with teeth on the edge. Using the screwdriver and the upper edge of the access hole as a lever point you should be able to rotate the star wheel. The direction to tighten the brakes is to rotate the star wheel from the top to the bottom as you look through the access hole.



Clear as mud now?



Kevin

 

[NPloysa]

Clear as mud! Nah, I got it. Thanks for the help!



Nick

 

[Thomas]

The star wheel acts as a ratchet and the adjusting lever acts as a pawl, allowing movement in only one direction, as part of the (joke) self-adjusting drum brakes on the rear of pre-2001. 5 Rams. Adjusting the brakes normally involves "backing off" or loosening the shoes a bit, as does removing the rear drums. To back off the shoes it is necessary to disengage the adjusting lever from the star wheel. This can be done with a very thin, long regular screwdriver. Push the adjusting lever out of engagement with the star wheel while the star wheel is backed off. The screwdriver needs to be thin because you'll have two screwdrivers through the access slot on the backing plate.



It is not necessary to disengage the lever from the star wheel while tightening the brakes. If you're under your truck and forget which direction tightens, it's the direction that turns easily (usually) with the single screw driver.



A small flashlight and eyes that can focus on close objects should give you a peek of the mechanism.