Having brakes issues.

[Gardenome]

I've searched the forum but haven't quite found what I'm looking for.

All four lines flushed and bled.
All wheel cylinders checked and cleaned as necessary.
Springs confirmed correct.
Shoes have lots of life left.
Brakes remain weak.
Snail cams backed completely off and very slight rubbing still occurs on 3 of 4 wheels.

2 issues but may be related. Why are brakes still weak if shoes are (too) close to drums? Why can't I get the shoes to stop rubbing?

Swapping drums around has helped a bit.

A forum redirect would even be welcome.

Thanks for your help.

Ian

[Red90]

The rubbing part is probably just bad shoes.  What model truck are we talking about?

[binch]

Ian has a 1955 series 1

Ian, if you are comfortable with the brake as they are take your series 1 over to the gathering tomorrow evening.   There should be a couple of fellas there that can give it a test drive and lend some advise.     

[Gardenome]

Alas, not registered yet. Brakes are all I have left before taking it in for out of province inspection.

I could tow it there but not really the venue for that kind of troubleshooting.


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[Gardenome]

I could reassemble without the shoes to see if something still rubs.


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[Red90]

What you do is setup a gathering on a weekend, during the day at your house....  Grill some dogs, and get people to work on your truck.

[Gardenome]

Your idea has merit and will be considered. Stay tuned.


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[Matt H]

I the backing plate straight?
Did you use new, quality hard wear (springs etc) for the brakes? Springs weaken over time.
Are you 100% sure the brakes are installed and adjusted correctly?
Are the shoes new? If not have they been checked for taper, barrel or abnormal wear?
Have you checked the drum for out of round, taper and/or abnormal wear?
Have you correctly set up the hub bearings and checked runout?
How about the rest of the hydraulic circuit including (but not limited to) the Master Cylinder?

Any one or combination of these can cause problems. Old drum brakes are supprisingly complex and it doesn't take much to upset their performance. I renew all hard wear as a matter of course and machine the drums (if enough material is available) at the very least when servicing brakes.

In days past shoes were also ground down at the leading/ trailing edge to assist in fitting. Not recommended these days as they may contain asbestos. Yikes!!

[Gardenome]

If I bring a box of drums and shoes to the meeting, would you mind providing a quick lesson on what to look for?


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[ugly_90]

Probably not a fix for this one, but my 90 had badly pitted rear drums. Bits of gravel had got in during its life it seems. Fitted new Mintex shoes, I had the drums turned at "Alberta Brake Service" in the west end at $20/ea. Measured and worked well, you may have to start there too. I'll need new drums next time, I think this was their last refurb.

On something that has been sitting and is vintage, even a decade old, can't the shoes develop a glaze and/or rust on the inside of drum from lack of use?

[Gardenome]

Pulled off both sets of rear drums and shoes for inspection tomorrow. Springs do look poor I'll admit but what do I know. They're plenty strong in my opinion.


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[Matt H]

I would be happy to show you what to look for but I live way down in Medicine Hat so I don't get to the Edmonton or Calgary gatherings. But there will be lots of knowledgable folks around to take a look at things for you.

You will require some precision measuring tools to check some of the dimensions but some things can be ball parked by using a straight edge. Raybestos used to have a really good 'how to' video on their website that explains the nesassary checks and procedures.

[binch]

Ian, speak with malcalm.   I'm pretty sure he'll be able to sort you out in no time.    He doesn't have access to a computer so he won't be seeing this thread.    were you able to pick a few brains at the gathering last night?

[Gardenome]

Circumstances conspired against me. I'll just go visit him.


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[Gardenome]

I took my drums in to be checked. Do I need to do anything with the shoes before reassembly? Can I use old shoes on a "new" drum?


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