1995 1500 2WD, Auto, 3.9 (11in drums)

I have had issues with the brakes surging really bad, and i'm getting a lot of feedback through the pedal. I could tell that most of it was coming from the rear brakes, so I decided to start there. I had both of the back drums resurfaced, replaced all the shoes, and replaced all the springs. According to my Haynes manual, whoever replaced the shoes last got them reversed. Before I took everything apart (one side at a time) the secondary shoe (the one where the actal brake material starts farther down from the top of the shoe) was installed towards the front of the truck on both sides. The Haynes says that the primary shoe (brake material starts closer to the top of the shoe) is supposed to go to the front of the truck. Which way is correct? I got everything put back toghether (shoes drag very slightly when turning drums by hand) but now I have no rear braking.

I have done plenty of drum brakes, and tried driving in reverse and stomping on the brakes without success. Anyone have any ideas?

 

Are the "Not So Self Adjusters" froze up? Those things are crap on our trucks. Spray them down with your favorite lube and grease them in anti seize.

 

The shoe with the smaller friction area is installed to the front. Reason being, front shoes are self-energizing.

If you are getting a lot of pedal pulsation, even after resurfacing the drums...... I would take a long hard look at the front rotors.....

Try this. Go someplace you can hit about 30 miles per hour, with very little traffic/obstacles. Get up to 30, and use the E-brake to stop the truck. Don't use the service brakes at all. Still get a pulsation? Drums are still warped. If it stops smoothly, need to address the rotors. (which are usually the culprit in any event.)

When adjusting the rears, use the adjuster to get the shoes in contact with the drum, then, step on the brakes several times with the truck moving slowly, forward and back. This will get everything positioned correctly, then, re-adjust the brakes.

 

Unfortunatly my emergancy brake is working yet (its the pedal though, not something in the drums). I do have issues with pulsing from the front brakes, but its not as bad and i'm not ready to mess with it yet. So the secondary shoes are supposed to go towards the front of the vehicle? The Haynes manual states and shows the exact opposite. Guess i'll have to take everything back apart and start over. If anyone could post a picture of their drum brakes it would be of enormous value to me.

 

I've heard the placement both ways. Some swear the larger one goes in front because of some reason, and it seems like the other people that swear the larger one goes in back use the same (in a way, opposite) argument.

It seems to me that it won't make a significant difference, definitely will be able to stop either way.

 

Well it seems I was mistaken, and the primary shoes are the ones with less material on them. The primary shoes have to go towards the front of the truck. I was right about that, but wrong about which shoe was which.

 

Well I got out there and swtched the shoes around to the correct layout. I checked and adjusted everything, and set the shoes to the point where they bearly allow the drum on. Took it for a test spin and I still have almost no rear brakes, and the fronts aren't much better. I can bearly get the truck to stop coming up to a stop sign going about 15mph. I didn't touch any hydraulics the first time around, but when I switched the shoes around I had to replace one of the wheel cylinders I just replaced a couple of months ago. It sudenly blew the piston out while everything was off and fluid stated pouring out. I didn't bleed it yet but I find it hard to believe that air in the line at that point would would result in basicaly any brakes. I have to bleed all the fluid out of the entire system anyway (its horrible) so I guess i'll get my answer then. This truck seems to only have rear wheel ABS, is there more places to bleed the system than just the screw at each wheel?

 

nope just the screw at each wheel..when doing the bleeding start from the furthest point from the master cylinder, which would be the pass rear then do the driver rear then pass front and then the driver front...and see what that does for ya..also while bleeding have the key to the on position..this activates the switch on the proportioning valve and lets fluid go through the rear line.. i had the same issue on my 1997 ram 1500..that fixed it for me.

 

A little bit of air, will truly screw up your brakes. Its simply amazing how just a couple bubbles can dramatically compromise them.

Front brakes are actually easier, as they are disk..... although, the disks mount to the BACK of the hub/bearing assembly, which means you have to pull the bearings to get the disk off....... Not sure whose brilliant idea that was..... (this is the case on my truck anyway..... not sure if the half-tons are any different.) Then, ya gotta knock all the lug studs out, to get the disk off. (ok, so maybe the fronts AREN'T easier on these trucks.....)

That said, warped rotors will cause more of a pedal pulsation than warped drums, the calipers move a significantly larger volume of fluid than the wheel cylinders will.

 

I believe that only applies to 2500 and 3500 models. The 1500s are simply pressed on. Makes life a lot easier especially when you snap off wheel studs!