Thanks theycallme ! I can't take credit it was someone else who taught me. And guess what I'm doin' this week-end Complete brake overhaul front to back so thanks again for the great DIY. Greg

 

Glad anyone is making use of this thing, Sorry for the late response. So howd those brakes go Tarheel?

 

pretty well laramie. I replaced all flex lines, rebuild the drums , turned the drums, and rebuild the calipers. Everything short of the master cylinder LOL. Thanks for asking,Greg

 

Alternative to the tape... Work like a good mechanic with a clean environment and lots of tidiness and you will never have grease/dirt come into contact with your brake materials. Painters tape is exspensive!!!!!!! hah Good write up. I just ordered new shoes and hardware and hopefully ill be able to cut my drums on my schools metal lathe jsut to get that nice even contact.

Another tip...
The factory adjustment cutout on the factory backing plate can be hard to get out even with an air hammer so grab grinder for the little welds and then bang it out. Once your brakes are properly adjusted in the rear it will feel like you have discs all the way around. Also adjusting them a million turns up or down because you installed new shoes or drums is a PITA so if you have access to a proper measuring device you can just measure inside diameter of the drum and adjust your outside diameter of the shoes to just below that of the drums.


Laramie's write up to the DIY section +1

 

Thanks guys and definately good advice on the adjuster. I adjusted it like a million times before I got it how I felt it was snug. Putting it in reverse when its close and then slamming on the brakes helped me position it alot closer, but the digital micrometer is a better alternative if available.

 

Don't bother beating your old drums off that have bonded to the hub with rust. Jack up the truck and remove tires, pit on jack stands, put back on one or two lug nuts on each side, start up truck and put in gear. Rev it up a bit and then hit the brake petal sharply. Repeat in reverse if nessasary.
Works every time for me.

 

Hmmm. Make sure the adjuster spins easily. I think I put that bottom spring on upside down.
Here's a question. With the rear jacked up and in neutral, both wheels turn when you spin them. How do you adjust them, meaning how do you tell where the drag is?
I think I came up with the answer while asking the question. Leave one drum off?

Another question. my drums were pretty tight going on with the adjusters turned all the way in. Do the shoes need to be set? And if so how?

 

Just put the drums on, and step on the pedal a couple times. They will put themselves where they want to be. Adjust 'em up, step on the pedal a couple more times, make sure the adjustment is good, forget about it till the next oil change. Rumor has it, the self adjusters aren't the best.....

 

I wish I new I was to knock out the adjuster slots while I had the brakes apart :/

 

The spring was upside down. managed to get it on the right way with out too much trouble. Adjusted the shoes to where I was just able to get the drums on. Started the truck and put it in gear and applied the brakes a few times, both in reverse and drive. I can hear the shoes scraping and had to put in some effort into getting the drums off again. Everything seated fine. Put the drums back on and tried the brakes again. This is the first time doing drum breaks on a rear that wasn't open ended. Much easier when you can just spin the wheel individually by hand. I'm thinking now I should have replaced the wheel cylinders. I think I will before I put the wheels back on.