Truck is a 1992 Ford F350 Crew cab dually.I posted recently on a hanging up left rear drum.I take it apart and I have broken brake shoes,I am thinking freak incident or the guy that bleed / adjusted them went too far on the adjustment.
I started out and checked the E brake cable,seemed OK.
I replaced everything,shoes,hardware,even the cables.I go to put the left side back together and I cant get the adjuster to drop down to where it will adjust on the star wheel,which is maybe why the brakes hung up and cracked, there was no adjustment.The cable pulls the arm up about a 1/4 of an inch to where its not under to adjust the wheel.The old cables are the same length as the new cables.The adjusters are new as well. I am stumped !!

 

The olny thing I can think of, is the quarter moon shape piece, that the cable runs over, in the right place on the brake shoe?

 

I will take a look at it tonight,I am gonna do the right side.I think there are only one set of holes to put the cable guide in.The right side seems fine but has the old shoes on it.I will match up the old ones as well.I am at my wits end with this truck.Thanks

 

Compare the two sides and see if there are any difference (besides the mirror image). Might want to look around online to see if someone has a good picture you could compare it to as well.

 

Been looking but nothing.I am starting to think someone changed the backing plate.If I put the adjusting lever on the star wheel and the cable spring next to the lever its only about 1/8 to 3/16 off.I may try opening the hole up a bit and see what I get. If the hole on the adjusting lever was about 1/8 higher it would work perfect.There is plenty of meet there too.If I screw it up I will buy a new lever,they are cheap !

 

I recall having the same issue, it had to do with the half moon cable guide being in the wrong spot like farmert said. Also make sure the arm is on the pin correctly.

 

Was it a defect in shoes,or were the holes in the wrong spot.There is only one set of holes.I know what you are talking about re the arm,thats not it. Im gonna try changing brake brands maybe, if the quarter moon was moved down a bit it would work,I dont want to start drilling holes in brake shoes, although I may give a shot drilling the old ones,if the quarter moon was moved over about 1/8 to 3/16 it would work as well.
I am stumped !!!.

 

Is there a hole in the front shoe that would drop it? Last time I did brakes on my buddies 94 I had to take it all back apart to move the half moon down. It might be worth getting shoes IIRC mine cost under 30 bucks and anytime its apart its not a bad idea.

 

Shoes are new,as well as hardware and cables.These are actually the second set.The first set had a cracked shoe.I noticed it when I was going to put the half moons on.I did match them up to the old ones.They were the same.I am thinking the backing plate was changed.My buddy said he actually two different levers on the brakes on his truck.It has been like that for like 5 years.The rear end was changed so he has two different backing plates on it.Never a problem.I may go hunt down another backing plate.I am not in the mood to be pulling axles and taking wheel cyl off but if need be oh well. The truck was built on 9/91.I called a few truck repair shops.The guys were very helpful and said all the parts I had were correct.

 

Can you post up some picture of what you have? Maybe seeing it we could point out a difference you might not be seeing, or be able to compare it to what we have.

 

Will try tonight.I am gonna do the right side,that is replace everything if I have enough energy to go into the garage.

 

oh the joys of brake shoes.see if there's anything helpful to ya when i was having some fun.


https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...ar-brakes.html

 

Ok I got it !!!!! I took lower components off again and re installed them,cable,star wheel,lever.It looked like the cable was binding or hooking on a bracket that was on the bottom of the backing plate that the shoe slides through or !!! It was wrapping around the hook/nail that the spring hooks too and it was causing the cable to bind/hang up thus making it short. But here is another problem not as bad though!! The new spring that goes across the star wheel is about an inch shorter than the old one.Its a bear to pull it.I am afraid I am gonna over stretch it.The old springs seem like they lost tension.One begins to expand and the other does not stretch one bit when on the brakes with both star wheels closed.I have 3 1/2 inches between the shoes.I hope I am explaining myself correctly.Has anyone replaced them recently.The old and new should be fairly close in lenght.Shouldn't they be ? I had to come in.I had enough of this thing tonight !! .I was hoping to button it up and go for a drive in the am !!

 

Now that I am looking at your truck.my orginal spring went to the further hole,yours goes to the hole closer to the inside of the drum.Hmmm !! If I wasn't all showered and cleaned up I would go back out there,but then I have been up since 3:00 am.I am gonna try that in the am.

 

yeah,there's always another day coming,until one day there isn't lol.you'll get 'er all shorted out tomorrow.get some rest.many times just having a fresh clean start after being frustrated is all it takes to turn a bad job into a not so bad job lol.