[Tools R Us]

Originally Posted by 1BADAWD

Ok so we popped the rear wheels off today, bled both rear brakes and went to adjust them. Right side adjusts fine and it set pretty good now. The left side however... turns like it adjusting but when apply the brakes there is no change.

Did you pull the drums, are the adjusters turning freely, is the hardware correctly installed? In theory they are self adjusting, but often don't keep up with wear, so sometimes need manual adjustment. I turn the drum/wheel, adjust until drag is felt.

Originally Posted by zombie

You said it has a 2" body lift. You need to adjust the rear brake height adjuster (sorry I don't know the technical name for the part) to compensate for the lift. It has a bar that connects to the body and pivots according to ride height. Theory is that as your back end sits lower with more weight you need more rear brakes or if it sits higher the back end is lighter needing less brakes. It directly affects the pedal feel and right now your brakes are not working in the rear because of this. I adjusted mine by adding a 2" bracket to it where it attaches to the axel after doing a 2" body lift and it made the soft pedal firm again.

All of the LSPV (load sensing proportioning valve) that I have seen on trucks are mounted to the frame, with the other end going to the axle. So a body lift will not effect it's operation or require adjustment.

[alteredraptor]

Originally Posted by Tools R Us

Did you pull the drums, are the adjusters turning freely, is the hardware correctly installed? In theory they are self adjusting, but often don't keep up with wear, so sometimes need manual adjustment. I turn the drum/wheel, adjust until drag is felt.

tried to pull the drums... passenger side didnt want to, driver side almost came off, but started to bind up on the shoe itself... so we couldnt see exactly how the hardware was... but the adjusters worked, the drivers side worked, but the little stopper tap wasnt working... kinda had to stop work for the day on account that it was just getting too cold and dark, and the wheels were spinning when they got adjusted

[1BADAWD]

Yeah from what we could tell, the shoes had some life left as well. Next time we probably can get the drivers side drum off if we adjust the shoes back and see if anything is binding up.

Still gotta figure out the air hissing by the mc/brake booster as well.

[1BADAWD]

Any tips at getting the drums off when they are stuck? I cant tell if they are stuck on the shoes or on the inside where it touches the hub.

[raydouble]

Originally Posted by 1BADAWD

Any tips at getting the drums off when they are stuck? I cant tell if they are stuck on the shoes or on the inside where it touches the hub.

2x
M8 x 1.25 40 or 50mm long bolts

They thread into the drums and help push a stuck drum off......make sure the e brake is off.

[1BADAWD]

Ill get some of those. Thanks for the tip.

Do you think the one rear brake not workin well would cause that soft of a pedal?

[zombie]

Originally Posted by Tools R Us

All of the LSPV (load sensing proportioning valve) that I have seen on trucks are mounted to the frame, with the other end going to the axle. So a body lift will not effect it's operation or require adjustment.

You are right, I checked my truck and it is mounted to the frame. I forgot that at the time I did the body lift I also increased the spring lift by 2" and that is why I had to make the bracket to mount it higher.

[raydouble]

Originally Posted by 1BADAWD

Ill get some of those. Thanks for the tip.

Do you think the one rear brake not workin well would cause that soft of a pedal?

I don't think so........
If you can "pump" it up, I would say it's the seals in the master or air in the system.

[1BADAWD]

Yea i was thinkin the issue was more in the mc/brake booster area, but i gotta attend to the rear hardware and whatnot as well. Would be nice to have all 4 wheels actually braking.

[Tools R Us]

Originally Posted by 1BADAWD

Ill get some of those. Thanks for the tip.

Do you think the one rear brake not workin well would cause that soft of a pedal?

It can, drum brakes are spring return, the adjuster determines how far the shoes return/retract. If not adjusted correctly, the shoes will pull back too far causing the peddle to need to be pumped to move them enough to contact the drum. The same effect as when calipers are compressed for new pads, but happens each time the brakes are used.

[Tools R Us]

Originally Posted by 1BADAWD

Any tips at getting the drums off when they are stuck? I cant tell if they are stuck on the shoes or on the inside where it touches the hub.

If stuck on the shoes, the drum/axle is hard to turn, shoes dragging on the drum. If the drum is badly warn, there can be a lip on the edge that can catch the shoes. Most times it's debris/rust at the drum to axle mount. I cleanup the exposed part of the axle, then hammer on the drum. Hammering vibration loosens the rust, it can be hit pretty hard, enough to ring the drum, but not dent it. I start with a big punch around the studs, pounding in on it, then hit the outside of the drum, turn the drum a bit, hit, repeat, every couple of inches around the drum. Most times this will loosen them up.

[1BADAWD]

Well good news/bad news. Good news... we got the driver's side drum off, needs a wheel cylinder(leaks) and a new drum(bell shaped on inside, has lip). Bad news... still couldnt get the passenger rear off. We adjusted the shoe(s?) in a crap ton and the drum still would catch on them. We used longer bolts, and one of the holes stripped out. We tapped out the hole and tried diff bolts and it stripped again and even a part of the drum on the edge of the hole broke off. So any other ways of gettin a drum off?

On another note... the reason i added the (s?) after shoe was becuz by the looks of it, when pullin the drum out as far as we could get it, that there is only ONE shoe on that side.

[1BADAWD]

Anything guys?

[raydouble]

Originally Posted by 1BADAWD

Well good news/bad news. Good news... we got the driver's side drum off, needs a wheel cylinder(leaks) and a new drum(bell shaped on inside, has lip). Bad news... still couldnt get the passenger rear off. We adjusted the shoe(s?) in a crap ton and the drum still would catch on them. We used longer bolts, and one of the holes stripped out. We tapped out the hole and tried diff bolts and it stripped again and even a part of the drum on the edge of the hole broke off. So any other ways of gettin a drum off?

On another note... the reason i added the (s?) after shoe was becuz by the looks of it, when pullin the drum out as far as we could get it, that there is only ONE shoe on that side.

Leaking wheel cylinder will definitely give you a soft pedal, you've got to get that drum off to do anything else though, get creative.

Was the "one shoe" on the leaking wheel cylinder side?
There has to be two shoes in there......more likely it is stuck on the lip of the drum.
Push/pound drum back on and back off star wheel as much as possible.....lube up hub the drum slides over. You should be able to get it off with only one bolt and a hammer.

......sounds like you need new rear shoes and drums.

[black95]

I'm the first one to do all my work myself.......but I'm really starting to think this brake repair is out of your skill level. Brakes are nothing to be messed around with and you don't want to get yourself or someone else hurt over a brake job that will only set you back a couple of hundred dollars. It's just not worth it.

I'm trying to reason and be nice, but if you can't get the drums off, you need to seek the help of a professional. Maybe you can go to the local brake shop and offer one of the techs some money to help you on the side? Get some help, please. There's no shame in that, I had help on my first drum brake job too.

[1BADAWD]

Originally Posted by raydouble

Leaking wheel cylinder will definitely give you a soft pedal, you've got to get that drum off to do anything else though, get creative.

Was the "one shoe" on the leaking wheel cylinder side?
There has to be two shoes in there......more likely it is stuck on the lip of the drum.
Push/pound drum back on and back off star wheel as much as possible.....lube up hub the drum slides over. You should be able to get it off with only one bolt and a hammer.

......sounds like you need new rear shoes and drums.

The leakin wheel cylinder was on the other side. But not sayin the stuck side might not have one too.

I might take the truck to my dad's friend shop maybe this week to see if he cna do it cheap. If not by the next weekend, ill try again myself. I know how to do it between me and my buddy. Just that damn drum is being a p.i.t.a. lol.

[alteredraptor]

for those who arent aware... im the buddy bein referenced