Help me understand drum brakes

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: FFeng7
Thank you all for the information. I did replace all the springs and hardware. The hardware kit did not come with adjusters. So I did take them apart and clean them well with a wire brush and a little antisize on the threads. Hopefully they will stay free for the next few years.


The nice thing about rockauto is that they carry so many items that you can get a kit that comes with the adjusters.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: Smoqueed
Originally Posted By: FFeng7
Thank you all for the information. I did replace all the springs and hardware. The hardware kit did not come with adjusters. So I did take them apart and clean them well with a wire brush and a little antisize on the threads. Hopefully they will stay free for the next few years.

I would not use antiseize. Antiseize isn't designed to lubricate over and over, it's designed to stop a bolt from seizing. I would use brake grease on it

What if you use an anti-seize that is also a brake lube?

That's what I use.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: Smoqueed
Originally Posted By: FFeng7
Thank you all for the information. I did replace all the springs and hardware. The hardware kit did not come with adjusters. So I did take them apart and clean them well with a wire brush and a little antisize on the threads. Hopefully they will stay free for the next few years.

I would not use antiseize. Antiseize isn't designed to lubricate over and over, it's designed to stop a bolt from seizing. I would use brake grease on it

I've used anti-seize on my shoe adjusters, it doesn't see as much "action" compared to the rest of the brake assembly. 3M's copper anti-seize is also marketed as a drum brake lube which I believe is OEM-specified.

My SOP with drum brakes is that if I feel more travel while engaging the parking brake, that star adjuster gets a few clicks until there's a touch of drag. Applies to cars with conventional drum brakes and with shoe-in-hat parking brakes.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: nthach

My SOP with drum brakes is that if I feel more travel while engaging the parking brake, that star adjuster gets a few clicks until there's a touch of drag. Applies to cars with conventional drum brakes and with shoe-in-hat parking brakes.


So from that description, what they in fact are selling you is an automatic adjuster that you have to adjust manually, but is difficult to adjust manually, because it is not designed to be so adjusted.

That seems to be a longhand way of saying PITA.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted By: Ducked


So from that description, what they in fact are selling you is an automatic adjuster that you have to adjust manually, but is difficult to adjust manually, because it is not designed to be so adjusted.

That seems to be a longhand way of saying PITA.


The auto adjuster does work in theory but in practice not always. You need to tighten up the brakes somehow after service.

 

[widman]

On the threads of the adjusters, I use a liquid with Moly that evaporates, leaving only the dry moly in the threads. It is a very liquid product, actually designed for penetrating and lubricating winch, elevator, and other types of cables where you want sliding action that does not attract dirt.