• Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and Register for our forum. Even if you don't want to post, you can still 'Like' and react to posts.

Rear Brake Adjuster Arm not Tickling Little Star


RangerJoey

Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2017
Messages
96
Reaction score
7
Points
8
Location
BMore
Vehicle Year
1999
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
4.0L V6
Transmission
Automatic
My credo
Teen Wolf for President!
Hey Guys,

Just finished up my first brake change on a shoe/drum setup. Went way better than expected, (shout out to these forums!), but when finalizing everything, I've run into a hiccup: the brake adjuster arm on both sides won't touch the star adjuster. They're each off just a few mm, (I really need to grab a photo). I can kind of tweak this and that and get them touching, but it feels fleeting. Like the moment I hit a bump, it's not going to hold.

I'm not overly-confident - especially mentioning this is my first time with the drum system - but I'm 99% everything is installed correctly. My before/after shots are solid matches and the kit I bought, (Carlson), is pretty reputable. I've even disassembled and reassembled everything 3 times now on each side.

Anyone else run into this issue before? And if it makes a difference, I swapped both brake cylinders and already bled the system on each. Any help is much appreciated!
 


Uncle Gump

Token Old Guy
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
VAGABOND
TRS Event Participant
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
13,699
Reaction score
13,156
Points
113
Location
Ottawa IL
Vehicle Year
2006/1986
Make / Model
Ranger/BroncoII
Engine Size
4.0L SOHC/2.9L
2WD / 4WD
4WD
My credo
Lead follow or get out of my way
A picture would be worth a thousand words... hard to say without seeing it. Take a couple so we can see everything...
 

8thTon

Well-Known Member
--- Banned ---
Joined
Jan 13, 2019
Messages
1,378
Reaction score
806
Points
113
Location
Pennsylvania
Vehicle Year
2004
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Engine Size
3.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
My credo
My world is filled with stuff that needs to be fixed
Even assuming it is assembled correctly you have to get them close before they work - once it is together you use an adjusting spoon to get it to the point where it just starts to drag a little. From there the adjusters should take over.
 

RangerJoey

Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2017
Messages
96
Reaction score
7
Points
8
Location
BMore
Vehicle Year
1999
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
4.0L V6
Transmission
Automatic
My credo
Teen Wolf for President!
Thanks all for the input! I kept trying to upload photos from my phone, but I think the size was too much. Linking some online hosting below. This is the left side, (driver's side), but the right side is identical except the top shoe links are reversed, (meaning they hook on the top spindle overhanded instead of underhanded. You can see the adjuster is close, but I can also move the arm freely.

IMG-20190406-195425-1

IMG-20190406-195430-1

IMG-20190406-195453-1

IMG-20190406-195503-1

IMG-20190406-195511-1
 

Uncle Gump

Token Old Guy
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
VAGABOND
TRS Event Participant
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
13,699
Reaction score
13,156
Points
113
Location
Ottawa IL
Vehicle Year
2006/1986
Make / Model
Ranger/BroncoII
Engine Size
4.0L SOHC/2.9L
2WD / 4WD
4WD
My credo
Lead follow or get out of my way

Uncle Gump

Token Old Guy
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
VAGABOND
TRS Event Participant
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
13,699
Reaction score
13,156
Points
113
Location
Ottawa IL
Vehicle Year
2006/1986
Make / Model
Ranger/BroncoII
Engine Size
4.0L SOHC/2.9L
2WD / 4WD
4WD
My credo
Lead follow or get out of my way
Ok... I wasn't sure that would work. I took those pictures from 8thtons post awhile back. I believe that is how the rear brakes left the factory.

Note how the adjuster cable eye is indexed... the crimp on the cable faces away from the shoe and also notice that the cable points directly at the cable guide plate. Yours... the crimp points to the shoe... and it points downward opposed to at the cable guide plate.

Note how the adjusting lever is basically centered on the wheel and yours is at the bottom. Also note how the cable hooks to the lever. I believe that is correct... from the factory.

If you ask me... I would say that you got the wrong adjuster cable and it is to long.
 

91stranger

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2010
Messages
1,806
Reaction score
512
Points
113
Location
Whats round on the sides and hi in the middle-OHIO
Vehicle Year
2003
Make / Model
Gets Mo Chicks
Engine Size
4.2 straight six powered by gremlins, goblins and mudbloods.
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Need some better pics showing the bottom side and how the cable and levers are mounted. Something doesn't look right but I can't see it all. Here are some pics of my brakes I did on my 99 2wd if that helps. Also be sure you are lubing the backing plates.
 

Attachments

RangerJoey

Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2017
Messages
96
Reaction score
7
Points
8
Location
BMore
Vehicle Year
1999
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
4.0L V6
Transmission
Automatic
My credo
Teen Wolf for President!
Thanks for the replies guys! I just snapped some better photos, but I need to compare these. And not sure if this is normal, but the top two springs that hold the shoes around that anchor point at the top are opposite on driver's side and passenger side. I don't know if that's normal or not, but the photos I have are driver's side. Everything's identical on the opposite side except the crimps on the top two springs. They're pointing down on the passenger side.

IMG-20190409-180812-1

IMG-20190409-180819-1

IMG-20190409-180822-1
IMG-20190409-180836-1

IMG-20190409-180855-1
 

8thTon

Well-Known Member
--- Banned ---
Joined
Jan 13, 2019
Messages
1,378
Reaction score
806
Points
113
Location
Pennsylvania
Vehicle Year
2004
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Engine Size
3.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
My credo
My world is filled with stuff that needs to be fixed
I didn't take any pictures of how I put it together, but it's probably the way I found it. I may have the cable on the wrong side of the adjusting lever - I'll have to look, but I'm not sure it matters.

DRUM BRAKES-2008.png


DRUM BRAKES-2005-pg17.png
 

Uncle Gump

Token Old Guy
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
VAGABOND
TRS Event Participant
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
13,699
Reaction score
13,156
Points
113
Location
Ottawa IL
Vehicle Year
2006/1986
Make / Model
Ranger/BroncoII
Engine Size
4.0L SOHC/2.9L
2WD / 4WD
4WD
My credo
Lead follow or get out of my way
Like I said earlier... cable is to long.

Zoom in on the last picture posted... cable shows slack going over the guide. That cable should be taunt... and hold up pressure on the lever. Also... the lever is resting on the brake shoe.

Perhaps a cable for 10 inch brakes... and you have 9 inch?
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2011
Messages
159
Reaction score
3
Points
18
Location
MA.
Vehicle Year
1994
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Automatic
Yeah, they gave you the kit for the 10 inch brake instead of the 9 inch.
I got the exact opposite when I did mine. The cable was too short.
Depends if you have the Dana 35 in that truck.
 

RangerJoey

Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2017
Messages
96
Reaction score
7
Points
8
Location
BMore
Vehicle Year
1999
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Size
4.0L V6
Transmission
Automatic
My credo
Teen Wolf for President!
Hi All,

Finally got a chance to jump back on the brakes and good news/bad news: It's me. I kept the original hardware for reference and took the new stuff off (again! I'm now a pro at this). I had the two adjusting cables side by side and when I say they're identical, I mean identical. That's sort of the good, (i guess?). I then had a thought about the actual adjuster anchor, (the thing at 1 o'clock that guides the cable). I noticed an ever so slight difference. Specifically, the nipple that goes into the shoe is actually more pronounced on the Carlson kit. Just for $h!ts & giggles, I put the old hardware on. Same result :(

One thing I'm noticing is that when I put the adjuster cable on and the first top shoe spring, (the one that holds the anchor plate in place), everything is perfect. The adjuster arm engages and there's no slack. Then when I put the final top shoe spring on, (the one opposite), the slack comes back.

Short of a wrong part, is there some little trick I'm missing here? Btw, these are 10". Kit was this one from Carlson. And out of curiosity, I also compared the top springs. They check out too.
 

Uncle Gump

Token Old Guy
TRS Event Staff
TRS Forum Moderator
Supporting Member
VAGABOND
TRS Event Participant
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
13,699
Reaction score
13,156
Points
113
Location
Ottawa IL
Vehicle Year
2006/1986
Make / Model
Ranger/BroncoII
Engine Size
4.0L SOHC/2.9L
2WD / 4WD
4WD
My credo
Lead follow or get out of my way
Then maybe you have a 9 inch star wheel adjuster?

I would go back through your order and ensure all parts are for your 10 inch brakes... I'm not sure if the 9 and 10 inch brakes share part numbers.

The only other thing it could be is the star wheel adjuster needs to be screwed out (a long way) to remove the slack... and still allow the drum to go on.
 

8thTon

Well-Known Member
--- Banned ---
Joined
Jan 13, 2019
Messages
1,378
Reaction score
806
Points
113
Location
Pennsylvania
Vehicle Year
2004
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
3.0 V6
Engine Size
3.0
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
My credo
My world is filled with stuff that needs to be fixed
The only other thing it could be is the star wheel adjuster needs to be screwed out (a long way) to remove the slack... and still allow the drum to go on.
This is what I was suggesting - it's not adjusted in range.
 

Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Staff online

Member & Vendor Upgrades

For a small yearly donation, you can support this forum and receive a 'Supporting Member' banner, or become a 'Supporting Vendor' and promote your products here. Click the banner to find out how.

Truck of The Month


Kirby N.
March Truck of The Month

Recently Featured

Want to see your truck here? Share your photos and details in the forum.

Follow TRS On Instagram

TRS Events

25th Anniversary Sponsors

Check Out The TRS Store


Sponsored Ad


Sponsored Ad

Sponsored Ad


Amazon Deals

Top