drum brakes too tight

I redid the drum brakes on my 97 Ford E150 van, including new shoes,
wheel cylinders, springs, and drums. I adjusted the star wheel
adjusters to maximum looseness, but the shoes are still alittle too
tight against the drum. I had to pound on the drums with a mallet to
get them on. When I drove around the block once, the drums heated up
alot, were smelling, and were dragging noticably. After a second and
third time, they aren't heating up as much and are dragging less. I
took it on a 14 mile trip to work and it seems better, although I think
they're still binding at least a little. Is this a normal phenomenon
or a dangerous situation, and why would the parts be designed so I
can't make them looser?

Greg

Take a look see at the Ebrake cable and check that the adjuster is
backed all the way off.
Will

When you install new brakes, you are supposed to set up the emergency
brake as well. Likely the e-brake got adjusted with thinner shoes or
some time after the last brake job was done. You need to address that
because the brake cables are now acting as one pivot point for the shoes
and the cables usually won't last too long that way.... Something will
give or stretch...

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
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Greg wrote:
>
> I redid the drum brakes on my 97 Ford E150 van, including new shoes,
> wheel cylinders, springs, and drums. I adjusted the star wheel
> adjusters to maximum looseness, but the shoes are still alittle too
> tight against the drum. I had to pound on the drums with a mallet to
> get them on. When I drove around the block once, the drums heated up
> alot, were smelling, and were dragging noticably. After a second and
> third time, they aren't heating up as much and are dragging less. I
> took it on a 14 mile trip to work and it seems better, although I think
> they're still binding at least a little. Is this a normal phenomenon
> or a dangerous situation, and why would the parts be designed so I
> can't make them looser?
>
> Greg

Greg wrote:
> I redid the drum brakes on my 97 Ford E150 van, including new shoes,
> wheel cylinders, springs, and drums. I adjusted the star wheel
> adjusters to maximum looseness, but the shoes are still alittle too
> tight against the drum. I had to pound on the drums with a mallet to
> get them on. When I drove around the block once, the drums heated up
> alot, were smelling, and were dragging noticably. After a second and
> third time, they aren't heating up as much and are dragging less. I
> took it on a 14 mile trip to work and it seems better, although I think
> they're still binding at least a little. Is this a normal phenomenon
> or a dangerous situation, and why would the parts be designed so I
> can't make them looser?
>
> Greg

second the recommend to check the e-brake but also I have run into this
same problem and I know it's not the e-brake as I currently have it on
the front of my '55 Stude. I think some relined shoes are coming out
with a little more material than the stock linings, assuming that the
drums are going to be turned when the brake shoes are replaced. If you
are frugal and your drums are in good shape and therefore you elect not
to turn them you will have issues. I don't want to have my drums cut
because 11" Stude drums are scarcer than hen's teeth these days in good
shape. The correct solution would be to have the shoes "arced"
(ground) to fit your drums, which a good brake shop will do for you for
a small fee. However, the problem is that finding a shop that
qualifies as "good" in this respect involves divining rods,
incantations, and the sacrifice of small fuzzy woodland creatures (if
anyone knows of one near Bowie or Annapolis, please let me know.)

Mine are loose enough I will probably let them wear in (but not as
loose as I'd like,) but if you can actually smell them you probably
should have it checked out.

good luck,

nate

Greg wrote:
> Thanks for both replies. The binding became less apparent, but I
> checked out the ebrake thing anyway. I loosened the cable about 5
> turns or so, and that cured the problem. I was able to easily remove
> the drums and could adjust the star wheel adjuster things in either
> direction. After putting everything back together, I adjusted the star
> wheels until I couldn't turn the wheels by hand, and then backed off a
> few turns. Now everything works great. Thanks for the help.
> Greg

glad to hear it worked out and it was an easy "fix."

just a note, might want to readjust after a couple hundred miles, the
shoes tend to go out of adjustment pretty fast initially (unless
they've been arced) after that the automatic adjusters can take up the
slack easily.

nate

Nate, If it's a real issue of to tight for your taste, Pull them off
and "relieve" them on the ends where they sit in the adjuster and the
cylinder a touch. Should give the clearance you want and you're not
fooling with the drums. ( which ARE really hard to come by)
Just a thought , Will