I had a complete brake job done last summer on my F250. I went to tow a trailer afterwards and the left rear brake was dragging the whole tow and it was smoking and got pretty hot. The right one was fine. I took it back to the place that did the work and they replaced the e-brake cable thinking that it was sticking internally causing the e-brake not to release. Well, now the right side is dragging and the left side is free. I took off the wheel and drum on the newly stuck right wheel and the e-brake releases without a problem - doesn't stick at all, but the wheel still won't spin free. Is this a problem with the automatic brake adjusters maybe?

 

it could be. the adjusters are supposed to work so that every time you hit the brakes hard while moving to the rear, they tighten one click. even so, they usually get loose over time and benefit from occasional manual tightening.
if we were to say that the shop switched all the parts between sides of the truck or something stupid, it would tighten every time you hit them moving forward and really screw you up.
is it possible they just left them a little too tight to start with and you backed up a few times and they just kept getting tighter?
also check for broken springs or damaged teeth on the star tightener

 

I suppose that could be a possibility. The only thing I can't understand is why the left side was dragging and now the dragging suddenly switches sides???
To me it seems like if the auto adjusters were screwing up and making the brakes too tight, then shouldn't they be overly tight on both sides? Or at least consistently too tight on one particular side? I don't get why the left side spins freely now after it was dragging.
I'm going to go and back the star wheel off and see if it helps at all. Which way do I spin it to back it off from behind the wheel with a screwdriver?

 

how is the condition of you rubber brake hoses on the rear?

 

Well the rubber line that feeds into the little steel lines is original, meaning its 28 years old, and the rubber e brake cable on the right side is original. The left side e brake cable is new. I was going to replace the right one thinking that maybe it's getting stuck internally, but I pulled the wheel off and watched the brake as I put the e brake on and off and it didn't look like it was catching or anything so I didn't replace that one.

 

You should have replaced both cables, this place you brought your truck to doesn't sound to swift.
You turn the "star" wheel downwards,(from the top) to loosen the shoes.

 

Yeah they didn't do too good of a job, I took it back a couple of times and they never really figured it out. It was a Les Schawb's... I figured they'd be ok seeing as all they do is tires and brakes, but go figure.

 

IMHO, chain stores aren't that reliable - they rely on the corporate name, and therefore they get business even if their employees aren't that bright. consider all the jiffy lube horror stories floating around. same principle.
if you still have a problem, take it to an independent shop and have the old guy there take a look at it

 

x2 with what Josh is saying, you cannot go wrong with the old guy at a local shop...its almost always better than a chain store.

 

So I'm adjusting the starwheel and when I turn it down it "clicks". Trying to turn it up doesn't really work because it doesn't click into place and it feels like there is spring tension working against me. For some reason though, turning it down (the way that makes it "click") seems to make the brakes tighter. What's going on here? Am I doing something wrong or should I just keep turning it down?

 

thats the way its designed to work. if you look closely at it, there should be a little arm held by a spring that sits against the star wheel. hold it away from the wheel to turn it the other way (loosening)

 

thanks Josh, I've got a wheel that spins freely again (mostly)
the starwheel itself looks pretty chewed up, do these need to be replaced periodically, or no?
I backed the shoes way off on the side that was sticking and now it spins but there is still a faint grating noise that must be a very slight drag. No matter how much I backed it off the noise remained, it could be something else, but truthfully I'm just glad that at least the wheel spins freely in neutral again.

 

the wheel needs to be replaced whenever it appears chewed up. your local parts store should have one for you within a day or two at most.
for adjustment, it should be to the point that it starts go get hard to turn the wheel minus several clicks. slight drag is normal, its because the shoes are free to sit a little off center, and will "always" drag while testing, but not be a noticeable drag on the road.

 

ok good to know, thanks a lot