How to tighten shoes without taking wheel off?

[mechtech2]

I do not understood why you have to brake in reverse to adjust conventional drum brakes.
I have heard it a jillion times and repeated this 'advice', though.
Normal braking lets the adjuster work. The shoe goes out on application, and the adjusters take up slack, after a certian amount of movement.
Not all brakes are star wheel adusted -these are easy to tighten up a bit from the outside.
Some are tapered wedges . Some, like old BMWs and some trucks, have no auto adjuster, and are adjusted from the outside by a bolt head.
Some brakes can be successfully tightened up by tightening up the emergency brake cable [to take up clearance]. I do this on my ZX2, and it works great. But my system is in perfect order to allow this.

 

[Carnoobie]

Originally Posted By: Gotch
Not to be disrespectful, but the type of questions you are asking indicates that you don't have enough experience to do this job yourself. Please do all the drivers in your area a favour and take it to a shop. The uneven heating you spoke to means that there is something seriously wrong and needs a trained experts attention.


I never said i was doing it myself.

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
I do not understood why you have to brake in reverse to adjust conventional drum brakes.
I have heard it a jillion times and repeated this 'advice', though.
Normal braking lets the adjuster work. The shoe goes out on application, and the adjusters take up slack, after a certian amount of movement.
Not all brakes are star wheel adusted -these are easy to tighten up a bit from the outside.
Some are tapered wedges . Some, like old BMWs and some trucks, have no auto adjuster, and are adjusted from the outside by a bolt head.
Some brakes can be successfully tightened up by tightening up the emergency brake cable [to take up clearance]. I do this on my ZX2, and it works great. But my system is in perfect order to allow this.


I have tightened my ebrake cable inside the centre console in my car. easy job, though tight space, just 2 10mm bolts and it lessenes the slack on the handle. Might have to do it again since ive noticed it get a bit looser since i had the cables replaced last Nov.

I do know one thing, on my car when you adjust the shoes from inside the drum using the star adjuster, it also tightens up the ebrake handle too. Cause i would have my shoes tightened then go in and notice my ebrake handle is a lot stiffer which is nice. So maybe it works the other way too

 

[tommygunn]

This guy has OCD problems and is looking for problems anywhere he can find them, the fact of the matter is the brakes are probably perfectly fine and self adjust absolutely fine. Most drum brakes these days adjust every time the brakes are applied, service brakes or e-brakes, the "going backwards" thing were older adjuster mechanisms that relied on braking torque in reverse to ratchet up.

Obviously; doesn't apply to disc brakes.

Seriously dude find a new hobby. Your brakes are fine. So far your transmissions screwed, your brakes are warped, your drums are out of adjustment, your folks clean the kitchen nine hours a day compulsively...

Edit: And your struts are bad, and bushings are bad, and you added Lubegard Red...then panicked saying you added too much, and your AC is bad...

Where's this gonna end? What next? I expect you to be here asking people if your light bulbs are bright enough because you think they're dark and you start panicking trying to find a fix for it or something.

Besides, you already have another post where you get flippant about how garbage your car is and you wanna destroy it because you're letting ABSOLUTELY NONEXISTANT ISSUES get the better of you...

Find a new hobby.

 

[tommygunn]

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...886#Post2634886

^ Thread complaining about your shoes being too TIGHT, this thread is about them being too LOOSE...

Quote:
my shoes are overtightening over time for some reason. And when it overtightens, it causes extra drag and this super annoying sqeaking sound when braking


You. have. a. problem. dude.

 

[Carnoobie]

No I dont have OCD, anyone would be annoyed wit hthe noise I have. I know you would be too. Its not just a minor baby sqeak.

And that thread was from last brake job, ive had everything fixed while ago and shoes were adjusted right.

Im not saying my shoes are loose now, im just wanting to make sure theyre tight and making full contact on the drums.

 

[tommygunn]

Originally Posted By: Carnoobie
No I dont have OCD, anyone would be annoyed wit hthe noise I have. I know you would be too. Its not just a minor baby sqeak.

And that thread was from last brake job, ive had everything fixed while ago and shoes were adjusted right.

Im not saying my shoes are loose now, im just wanting to make sure theyre tight and making full contact on the drums.


Do you want me to quote the nearly two dozen topics you've posted that all conflict one another in some way as you panic and jog around with every minor hum, squeak, issue and groan you hear that you often never have a solution for?

You have a problem. Read your posts about your mom's OCD cleaning a kitchen for 8 hours. Stuff like that runs in the family and is genetic. You have a problem. Seriously.

Thats the only reason you throw a tantrum about your car being so bad; you've convinced yourself it is because you honestly enjoy getting mad at it.

If you had it fixed that was less then two months ago...take it back to where you got it fixed and complain the shoes are too loose...or are noisy...or whatever crazy thing you invent. Since likely they're upset with you because you absolutely nit pick because you're crazy, they probably will tell you nothing is wrong, because NOTHING IS...

Then you can come back here and complain about how terrible your mechanic is. Just like you did before.

 

[mechtech2]

OK guys...
Many drum brake systems allow too much movement with the limitations and parameters of the stock self adjusters.
Tightening them up a little more by various means is a nice improvement.

I don't mind odd questions, because many many others will read the dialogue and be informed, or be motivated.

 

[scottyducati]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
I do not understood why you have to brake in reverse to adjust conventional drum brakes.
I have heard it a jillion times and repeated this 'advice', though.
Normal braking lets the adjuster work. The shoe goes out on application, and the adjusters take up slack, after a certian amount of movement.
Not all brakes are star wheel adusted -these are easy to tighten up a bit from the outside.
Some are tapered wedges . Some, like old BMWs and some trucks, have no auto adjuster, and are adjusted from the outside by a bolt head.
Some brakes can be successfully tightened up by tightening up the emergency brake cable [to take up clearance]. I do this on my ZX2, and it works great. But my system is in perfect order to allow this.


many vehicles use the e brake to adjust drum brakes about a million f150's from the 90's all have them. many others use leverage force of braking in reverse to adjust as well. If the brakes get to far out of adjustment however the shoes will not grab the drum and will not further adjust...

 

[mechtech2]

What "leverage force of braking in reverse"? Braking going forward activates the adjustment just as well.
Parking brake application does the same thing as braking going forward.
I all three scenarios, brake shoes are moved enough to make the self adjusters work.

Having seen and worked on countless drum rear brakes, I repeat that I can't see why the old axiom of braking in reverse is going to make the adjustment any better.

 

[Vikas]

Well, the Hondas with rear drum adjust only with hard braking in reverse. The star wheel and the adjuster etc has been set up in such a way that it can only click with reverse braking.

 

[mechtech2]

No.

 

[antiqueshell]

Perhaps an interesting question, but consider who is asking it.

I agree with others here.... Carnoobie, if you are not sure of your abilities to PROPERLY service the braking system DO NOT attempt to do it yourself. You may endanger others on the roads.

Find a competent shop and leave the work to them.


Just curious have you moved out of your parents house yet, or landed a full time job?