hi all...


I just wanted to document more weirdness, or PITA stuff with my van.


So after fixing my airbag debacle, I decided to get new tires. When the tires were off I was looking at the brakes and noticed that my pads were worn to 1/2 and I just did them last year.


So I started to think I needed brakes...


About a week later on the way home from Mom and Dad's, my rear drums started to clack and screech a little. So I started to think...I guess I need rears and fronts ???? hmmmmmmm


I take the van to the local shop (Ive had surgery on both hands so no van work for me for awhile) and I went into the shop when the tech had it on the rack.


We went back to the rears and he pulled the drum off with no hesitation at all...as a matter of fact the shoes looked almost the same as they did three years ago.


We switched side and found the other drum was exactly the same way. So we found that the rear drums were horribly out of adjustment. We adjusted the rears and then he recommended a brake fluid change. I stated OK and he did it.


WOW - what a difference. It is an extreme difference. I stop quicker now. Pedal feel is awesome. I am really perplexed why they got so out of adjustment...Are you supposed to adjust them every so often??? I thought that putting on the emergency brake a few times a month does that for you???


Now here's the kicker. The front right has always sounded like the pads were floating in the caliper. So every time I first put the brake on in the morning, I would get a slight clunk coming from the caliper. Since the bleed and rear adjustment, this clunk is totally gone. I even replaced the upper ball joint thinking it may have been that one day.

Also just for the record, I had a slight pull to the right. Very slight, but it was always there. That is also gone now.


Man - my van run and feels great now

 

"Man - my van run and feels great now "

That's awesome and bet you're feeling pretty good about that fix! I would too.

 

Hey, good to see when things actually turn out good at a garage. My van was downright dangerous when I got it...bad old fluid and it would cross lanes when you hit the brakes. New fluid and front hoses fixed that up.

The rear brakes on most vehicles self adjust when you press the brakes while backing up. There is an arm that slides back and turns the star wheel but it will just skip over the cog if it is in adjustment OR seized. You only get 1 click per brake application in reverse.

I "think" some newer cars may not have self adjusting rear brakes anymore. I have not researched it but I remember being ticked off while trying to adjust the back brakes on my 2005 Pontiac vibe and that was probably why...

Steve

 

The star adjusters on the rear brakes often seize up and will not adjust.

The retainer for them can also not keep them from backing off if it dies not contact the star wheel.

And often they are installed on the wrong sides. One is reverse threaded, I forget which.

it is rather amazing how much better 4 wheel brakes work than just 2

If you really want impressive brakes, Hawk HPS pads. My brakes used to be so anemic, and now they are just so impressive.

 

Rear self adjusters should work when backing up in reverse and applying brakes firmly.

Backing up at speed (10 - 20mph) and then slamming on the brakes will normally force rear drum brakes to self adjust even if the adjuster is a bit sticky. Its important to lubricate the self adjuster screw and all cable hinge points every few years otherwise they will eventually rust in place.

Also pretty common to find that the last guy who worked on them mixed up the parts and installed the brake self adjuster cables wrong, swapped left parts for right, etc.