New brake shoes or not?

[ivbeenrokd]

I've got the rear axle torn apart for some p.m. A couple of the shoes have some Bad spots here and there. Thickness on all shoes is excellent. What do you all think? Do I need to get new shoes Or are the current ones fine?

 

[ivbeenrokd]

 

[cattlerepairman]

Guy told me once " Just the fact you have to ask should tell you to replace it". Seriously, though. No, the shoes do not look horrible. On the other hand, they are not really good, either. The edge damage is not normal wear.
You have everything apart and a new shoe is, what, $25? If it were my truck, I would replace the shoes (axle-wise), make sure they sit and slide correctly, and check the brake cylinders for anything funky as well.

 

[welldigger]

I'd run them.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I'd run them too. Plenty of good pad there, just make sure they are adjusted right.

I need to take pics of when I do PMCS after Haspin. I have to take my pads off and wash them there is so much mud and gunk in there. Totally re-greasing the bearings, uhh what a PITA.

 

[Hainebd]

Heat with a torch to burn off oil the sand paper a little. If oil reappears, burry in a bucket of oil dry for a couple of days to pull oil out. Or replace and forget till next time. If you replace them, I will take your old ones.

 

[Dhallftworth]

I'd replace them and check on why its grinding on the edge. Does everything seems to be good with the races?

 

[welldigger]

I'd replace them and check on why its grinding on the edge. Does everything seems to be good with the races?

Its not uncommon to find chunks missing like that. A couple of my shoes have chunks missing and theres nothing wrong with my hubs/drums.

 

[Dhallftworth]

Its not uncommon to find chunks missing like that. A couple of my shoes have chunks missing and theres nothing wrong with my hubs/drums.

maybe a rock got up in there and ground around.. If they have oil on them and those chunks gone, I would keep them as spares and replace or reline those. YMMV

 

[ivbeenrokd]

Everything seems to be good with the bearings and races. No scoring or anything. They have gotten oil on them at some point but I don't think it's recent because everything's dry in there now. I checked on getting them relined locally but it was $200 for all 4 with tax. I can buy new ones for $130 plus shipping from C&C. Still torn...

 

[Hottrodd789]

I have 6 sets off of my truck as i did a disk break conversion and have 8 new wheel cylinders as well! If interested let me know

 

[ivbeenrokd]

Okay, I ordered new brake shoes (with springs) and installed them today. Driver's side assembled doesn't spin as freely as the front drums do but seems okay. Passenger side gets really difficult to spin after it's tightened down.

I first thought maybe the new shoes are rubbing but they are adjusted all the way in and it doesn't hang up much at all when I first put the drum on before tightening it down. My past experience is that if shoes are rubbing the drum causing it to hang this will show up the worst before the drum is tightened because it's not sitting on there square.

I removed the hub from the drum and installed the hub by itself to see how free it moves. It moves more freely than the assembly drum and all but still not as good as the front fully assembled. Example being it does take a good bit of force 1 handed to move it and it will not free spin at all after letting go, stops immediatley.

All the bearings and races look great, nothing seems out of place. Any thoughts?

 

[gringeltaube]

What about the seals? (... two per rear hub vs. only one in the front...)

And you are (correctly)adjusting two excentric pivots for every brake shoe, right...?


G.

 

[Dhallftworth]

You're moving about 75lbs of metal.. I'm a 250 pound guy and it's rough for me to do it one handed. The instructions say to adjust your nut tightness with the tires on, is this how you did it?

 

[ivbeenrokd]

I see what you're saying on the seals but I don't think they really cause much drag at all.

I'm not sure I'm following you on 2 adjustments per shoe. There's 1 per shoe (2 per drum since there are 2 shoes) right?

What about the seals? (... two per rear hub vs. only one in the front...)

And you are (correctly)adjusting two excentric pivots for every brake shoe, right...?


G.

 

[ivbeenrokd]

Maybe I just have super human strength!

I am not adjusting with the tires on as it's just not practical at the moment but it's striking me as odd that it would take 2 strong hands to get it moving an then it holds no momentum at all after I let go. I can move the front drum assembled with 1 hand (mayble a little help from the 2nd hand) and it will keep spinning for a second or 2 after I let go.

You're moving about 75lbs of metal.. I'm a 250 pound guy and it's rough for me to do it one handed. The instructions say to adjust your nut tightness with the tires on, is this how you did it?

 

[Dhallftworth]

Someone was gonna ask this, and it might as well be me. Are you following the TM? I just did a brake job, and that's why I ask. If you're following the brake adjustment guide, then you see that you have an upper and lower adjustment screw. Do you see where I'm heading?

 

[gimpyrobb]

Yes, 2 adjustments on the shoes. Top and bottom. The TM calls for 20thousandths bottom and 10 thou top. I have found 15 thou top and bottom works well.

 

[ivbeenrokd]

Okay, I was so buried in hub and bearing TMs I never thought about there being more to the brake adjustment than anticipate. Lesson learned, doing a new mechanical task on the deuce read the TM 1st even if it's minor!

I adjusted the lower cams to the default setting. They weren't very far off so I don't know if this will help or not, we'll see. I'm going to go put it back together now and see where we are.

Thanks!
John

 

[welldigger]

Your fully assembled drums/hubs should spin freely after you pre load the bearings. If they don't something will get hot. Bottom adjustments should be at 20 thousandths and top should be at 10 thousandths. Then after they are set adjust the top to where you just barely hear/feel the shoe hit the drum. I mean just a teeny tiny bit of scrape. Exactly how the t.m. says to do it.