Brakes

P

Paul Howes

Junior Member
I put new shoes on the front, new drums, new bearings. I was unable to adjust the drivers side. I ordered new adjustment wedge & brake adjustment shafts thinking many years of wear. With the wedge adjustment all the way out I had to hammer the drum on. Not crazy but just to get it on. Even with the wheel on I can’t turn it. What am I missing?
Paul
 
Were the drums turned after mounting to the hubs? Were the brakes shoes ground to fit the drums?
 
Drum, shoes fit perfectly. I just couldn’t get them to adjust. The break adjustment shaft and wedge were the only things I changed. I did use American made. It’s got to be something simple.
 
Just shorten the brake adjustment shafts by 1 mm. They need to be the same length and the correct angle. I rounded the tip of mine slightly. They don't need to have a sharp end. Simple.
 
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One other thing to check is the proper angle on the brake arm. It should be 15 degrees forward with all slack taken up so that any more movement will cause the shoes to expand. Check it with the brake rod unattached. Adjust with the pills (shims) under the rod that goes through the king pin. After the arm angle is set, adjust the brake rod so that it attaches with no movement in the arm.
 
I have to ask...are you sure the adjusting shafts are on the right way? The long side faces outward, the short side inward so that the beveled end sits flush against the conical adjusting wedge.
 
Many folks don't realize that turning the adjusting wedge all the way out until it stops does not guarantee that the adjusting shafts are resting on a low spot on the wedge. my rule of thumb is to turn the adjusting wedge all the way out until it stops and turn it slightly back in until you hear it "click" (once or twice) , indicating that both shafts have "fallen" into the low spot on the wedge. It's amazing how far the shoes can spread if the shafts are resting on the high spots of the wedge.
 
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