2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Those self adjusting rear Drum brakes

[dan_gilson]

Can anyoe give a good explaination on how the self adjustor for the drum brakes works?



The book says just to back up with the brakes on. From what the mechanism looks like it the depression of the brake pedal while moving backwards that actually does the work.



If I regularily do the backup thingy do I need to hand adjust?



Thanks in advance!

 

[Bob Wagner]

The self adjuster is crap



Self (yourself)adjust the rear brakes at every oil change

 

[illflem]

Hard to say it any better than Bob did.



The way it's supposed to work is to brake in reverse to a full stop. Braking in reverse makes the leading shoe move upward, moving the arm that turns the star wheel.

Too bad it doesn't always work.

 

[Joe G.]

My brake routine at EVERY oil change is: remove rear drums, inspect front and rear brakes, adjust rear brakes, and lube front caliper pins. Truck stops straight. The front pads are wearing even. I rotate the tires also. Frequent inspection lets you catch problems like leaks before they cause damage.

 

[Herman8r]

Dan I had problems with my 99 also. Adjusters didn't work. Sure saved the rear brake life Now I check the rears all the time. Saves the front pads when the rear brakes do their job!



Herman

 

[Bill Lins]

Originally posted by dan_gilson

Can anyoe give a good explaination on how the self adjustor for the drum brakes works?

Yes. Poorly.

 

[Phil Stuart]

they should be called......

those non-self adjusting rear brakes.

I agree with Bill Lins also. I always had to adjust mine on the 2001 I had. Now I gots discs all aroundOo. Wooo Hoooo!



Phil

 

[redram]

One way to make sure the "self-adjusting" mechanism has the best chance of working..... it requires that you come to a complete stop when backing up. Just pumping the brake pedal while backing up will not cause the adjuster to move as much as coming to a complete stop.



Granted, they don't work real well but try that and they will work some.....

 

[dan_gilson]

Thanks for all the help!



I would love it if someone make a disk conversion for a 3500. I would go there fast. Ford has disks all the way around for 450/550's. Why can't Dodge get a clue? Ford had some initial problem with front/rear bias for soon got that worked out.



Drums for me just suck. They have to be adjusted. They are a pain to replace shoes. Springs are dangerous to deal with. They are just not as good of a design as disks.



Oh and the single piston front calibres that Dodge puts on as also a POS. A dual pistons would at least be self centering and stop all the pin wear problems.



Sorry I just had to vent.



OK I will add this stuff to the oil change routine.



Thanks!

 

[kchristopher]

Originally posted by dan_gilson

Thanks for all the help!



I would love it if someone make a disk conversion for a 3500. I would go there fast. Ford has disks all the way around for 450/550's. Why can't Dodge get a clue? Ford had some initial problem with front/rear bias for soon got that worked out.

Didn't Dodge go to rear disks in 2001?

 

[rogerblind]

I solved the problem by buying a 2002! The rears on my 2000 were a constant pain. The 4-wheel discs on my 2002 are great.

 

[Berrigan]

Dont booo me out the door but,



The self adjusters work (kind of) of you keep them clean and well adjusted. This self adjusting engineering idea on drums is old old old school stuff. They will keep the shoes out near the contact point for most of the shoe life but not as well as a manual adjustment. Also all the springs need to retract as they did when new to work properly. And after about the first brake job(nobody changes the springs) they dont retract as well. Its actually a large amount of lateral movement in the shoes that activate the adjusting arm. So a brake way out of adjustment will adjust but a brake thats just a little out wont adjust. Anyway this self adjusting system has been out a long time, slightly less time than the lever brakes the cowboys used on the wagons.

 

[rrausch]

My self-adjusters worked... on the left wheel ONLY!

Don't know why but for about a month the left rear brake would tighten up about once a week and start getting hot. I'd get out of the truck and smell it and crawl under and slack it off, and it would tighten up again in 3-4 days. This went on for 3-4 times before it stopped doing it.

 

[dan_gilson]

Dodge did go to disks. Sorry, they were not available in '98 when I got mine. I probably will not be going to a new truck any time soon so a conversion is my only option.



The self adjustor helped a lot from 30-70K miles. The 1st 30K I did not use them and the shoes wore very unevenly.



I did replace springs when I upgraded to EGR a few months ago.

 

[RKohn]

My self adjusters work great...

I roll my self under the truck and adjust them with a screwdriver whenever they need it.



Oo.

 

[dalton4]

My rear self-adjusters work if I brake it hard while moving backwards. Normal braking will not do the job for me.

 

[The patriot]

I dont know if anyone mentioned it but, you have to slam them going forward after doing the reverse thing. This will supposidly reset the whole thing.

Just slamming them in reverse repeditly wont do it.

Having said that:

Did anyone here ever try changing all their shoes to PRIMARY shoes? Seems like it might help the self adjusters to actually work.

Just thinking out loud... .

Eric

 

[fest3er]

Originally posted by The patriot
I dont know if anyone mentioned it but, you have to slam them going forward after doing the reverse thing. This will supposidly reset the whole thing.
Just slamming them in reverse repeditly wont do it.
Having said that:
Did anyone here ever try changing all their shoes to PRIMARY shoes? Seems like it might help the self adjusters to actually work.
Just thinking out loud... .
Eric

As illflem says, apply the brakes when moving backward and come to a *complete*, motionless stop. Rolling backward shifts the shoe, and the *complete* stop causes the shoe to be shifted back to where it was. The combination of the two makes the adjusters work.

Well, at least it seems to work for me.

Fest3er

 

[The patriot]

Ahhhh sooooo...

I must get a faster connection so that I can read the whole post before chipping in my . 02



Eric

 

[Little Bill]

I had to tweak the plates that engage the starwheel to get mine to self adjust. They're doing there thing, now.