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View Full Version : Can someone figure out what's going on with this drum brake?



aggressive male
08-05-2008, 09:47 PM
After I left my car sitting a few weeks and went to drive it again one of the left rear brakes would lock up and slide (if on dirt) after only going a couple feet. This doesn't happen while going backwards though but if I drive forward aggressivley enough I can still feel it catching but I can still drive it. This is only a major problem for about the first 1000 feet of driving it and only when it's not warmed up and on dirt or grass so I've been living with it. Once I've gone past 1000 or so feet it doesn't feel like there is any brake drag and the car doesn't smell like I left the parking brake on. This is an oldsmobile rear end if that helps. Oh yeah, this drag is pulsing on 1 spot with the turn of the wheel. I also thought it might help to mention the bright side that I think the brake pedal feels slightly firmer now.

oestek
08-06-2008, 08:44 AM
Sounds like a warped drum... have it turned and see if that fixes it.

paul67
08-12-2008, 12:39 PM
You might need to file a leading edge on the shoes, or it could brake dust build up getting damp and sticking to the drum.

aggressive male
08-15-2008, 02:02 PM
You might need to file a leading edge on the shoes, or it could brake dust build up getting damp and sticking to the drum.File a leading edge? What does that mean? Also thought I should mention even though I have not even taken the drum off yet the problem isn't as bad now. Does that tell us anything?

paul67
08-16-2008, 11:32 PM
The edge that needes chamfering is as the drum is rotating with the wheels driving the car forward it would be the edge on the left on the upper shoe and right on the lower shoe ,needs about 1/16" and about 1/2-3/4" back tappered . You might find what I mean if you google brake shoes grabbing drum.

aggressive male
08-20-2008, 11:41 AM
Thanks paul67, the problem seems to have been getting better without touching it. But if it doesn't totally go away soon I will do that.

paul67
08-21-2008, 03:35 AM
What happening is as you are using the car the sharp edge is being worn down making the tapered edge.

aggressive male
08-21-2008, 05:45 AM
I see, so I don't even have to touch it! Thanks Paul.

Bob Alford
08-25-2008, 01:10 PM
It's obvious that your shoe to drum arc wasn't right so the shoes weren't making good contact with the shoe but this problem will correct itself as your shoes brake in.

Bob

MonzaRacer
08-31-2008, 12:43 PM
Sounds more like some type of contamination, or cheaper shoes drawing damp and you may also have drum diameter issue.

Vegas69
08-31-2008, 01:46 PM
I'd pull it apart....a leaky wheel cylinder will cause this as well.

aggressive male
09-01-2008, 09:03 PM
Hey guys, a quick update, on that same brake the self adjusters have been adjusting too tight. They did this even before I had this other problem so I simply untightend the adjuster and did nothing else. Not sure if this could be part of the problem but this rearend is from a 82 olds and it's on my 77 caddy and I've been asking for 77 caddy parts when getting new pieces for it. Sometimes Autozone wont show the part in the computer if it's 77 caddy so I'll ask for 82 olds. Not sure if I did it for the springs, self adjusters or shoes. Could that be part of the problem? Or are GM brakes that size all the same? What can I do to get the self adjusters to stop adjusting so tight?