Rear Brake Over-adjusting
 

Vehicle information: Working on an '85 W350 Chassis. (Under my '78 body) All frame parts, axles and brakes are '85 vintage.

Prefix: All new pads, rotors, drums, shoes, rear brake cylinders, lines (both hard lines and soft) and master cylinder within the last year. Shoes are on correctly, not backwords. Double verified-twice (quad-verified?)

Where I stand now: Every two to three months, my rear, drivers side shoes will overadjust and cause drag and/or lockup in my drum. Emergency brake hasnt been used in over a year. Cables are shot, and wont release brakes.

Question: Why on earth does this keep happening? It drives me (and my very helpful wife) nuts, and is likely to warp my drum and ruin my shoes.

Plead: PLEASE HELP ME... PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!

Thanks guys, Scooter.

did you make sure the lever thing is holding the adjuster properly?

If you are referring to the spring loaded jobby, it appears to be. it applies pressure to the cog and only lets it rotate one way.

sounds like the right part. i don't know why it would tighten up. did you make sure it is greased?

Like a pig at a county fair.

i am out of idea's. something is not right. i have never had an issue with mine yet.

Yeah, me to. I cant figure what the issue is. Maybe too tight or loose of adjuster spring? Not enough or too much tension?

i would almost think there is not enough pressure on the lever thing since if seems to be letting the adjuster turn so easily.

Hmm... Maybe I should see about snugging that up a bit and run it for a while. Cant do any worse than it already is.

I don't claim to be a brake specialist of any sort but I had something similar happen on my 91 where the rear brake drum was over adjusting. I noticed it because I smelled burnt brake shoes. Discovered a bent spring J hook where it went into the shoe and the cable for the adjuster came off the guide. The guide actually looked a little bent. Now which came first, the chicken or the egg, I don't know but the lever that catches the adjuster gear didn't reach anymore and looked like it wore down the edge that catches the teeth. At a glance, I didn't really notice it. but when I took it apart, there it was. Bought a new hardware kit for it and hasn't happened again. But I've got my fingers crossed.