Adjusting DIH (Drum in Hat) parking brake star wheel

[D60]

I regularly have to adjust the shoes on an '02 Ram 2500 used by my non-profit. Everything works as it should including the light but.... volunteers.

The star wheel is theoretically accessible through a slot in the backing plate, but it's kind of an afterthought and buried deep in the housing flange and backing plate itself.

Because it's not self-adjusting the star wheel is the smaller, coarse-tooth variety -- and also because the diameter of the return spring is supposed to just rest between a couple teeth and keep it from rotating on its own.

Does anyone have a miracle tool that will allow you to spin these star wheels in either direction? I have a host of spoons and some will turn the wheels one way sometimes if I'm lucky. The deep positioning of the wheel combined with the minimal number of teeth on the wheel means most tools just slide off before getting it to "click" (remember, the spring provides the "click", not a sharp piece of sheetmetal in a fine-tooth wheel).

I think the answer is just keep muddling along because I don't think anything better exists, but thought I'd ask.

I'd sure appreciate not having to pull the caliper bracket and slide the rotor off each time to open up the shoes. I can't disable the parking brake because it's an NV5600 and always parked on hills near animal enclosures. Maybe I could tie an obnoxious buzzer in with the BRAKE light.......

 

[CharBaby]

I do have a brake show adjuster tool but this tool doesn't seem as though it would reach properly the way you are describing it. However, I do mostly just use a screwdriver that fits/reaches into the cavity in order to adjust the shoes. Sometimes removing the drum itself to see where the adjusting sprocket is located to I can do it blind at best.

 

[Jetronic]

I had a bent philips screwdriver, from a car tool kit, that i could use to do this. about a 15° bend worked for my application

 

[Jump1]

I don't have a direct answer to your question on the tool and hopefully someone else does. If not if you ever have the drum off, maybe take a couple pics of the star wheel and see if one of the auto part store replacements or hardware kits come with an adjuster that has bigger courser stars. I suspect the aftermarket suppliers have a 1/2 doz. of them to choose from when making the hardware kits rather than trying to copy the OEM one . Maybe not the best answer but may help

 

[Jump1]

I don't have a direct answer to your question on the tool and hopefully someone else does. If not if you ever have the drum off, maybe take a couple pics of the star wheel and see if one of the auto part store replacements or hardware kits come with an adjuster that has bigger courser stars. I suspect the aftermarket suppliers have a 1/2 doz. of them to choose from when making the hardware kits rather than trying to copy the OEM one . Maybe not the best answer but may help. As a second thought of above doesn't work maybe take a thick Dremel cut off wheel cut a deeper slot at each star for a screwdriver to grab in. Hassle, but only once rather than fighting with it every time

 

[D60]

I had a bent philips screwdriver, from a car tool kit, that i could use to do this. about a 15° bend worked for my application

A Philips you say? Interesting, I could see where the included angle might mate with the star wheel, but I wonder if I could get enough "swing" in the narrow slot.

Interesting idea though and worth a shot!

 

[GMBoy]

They should be self adjusting. Maybe once a week somebody should run around in reverse hitting the brakes a few times to keep that adjustment.

 

[eljefino]

If you take the rotor off maybe you can disassemble the adjuster and put some anti sieze on its internal threads. These things come from the factory working well then get ignored into a terrible to turn mess.

 

[D60]

If you take the rotor off maybe you can disassemble the adjuster and put some anti sieze on its internal threads. These things come from the factory working well then get ignored into a terrible to turn mess.

Yeah I've been into it several times and the adjusters are well lubed. You just can't get any significant purchase on them through the window to pop the spring into the next valley.

As I suspected, I don't think there's really a solution here. But hope springs eternal.

I think a different star wheel with more teeth or slightly larger OD would be the best possible option. The return spring doesn't have to fully seat in the star -- it just being there will keep most stars from turning on their own. Would have to research other applications to find a substitute.

 

[Jetronic]

A Philips you say? Interesting, I could see where the included angle might mate with the star wheel, but I wonder if I could get enough "swing" in the narrow slot.

Interesting idea though and worth a shot!

I was tired, meant flat head
sorry

 

[SHOZ]

I've never had my rear rotors off on the Gen Coupe. Just changed out the fronts last summer from the OE but the rears still have some life left in them. Probably do them this winter along with the struts.

 

[Donald]

This is a parking brake right? It does not wear a lot of used strictly as a parking brake and people don't drive with it on