Just put on new shoes and drums. Is adjusting the brakes really just as simple as backing up and braking several times? Does that really set them to the proper tension?

 

Not initially, no.

The manual adjustment gets the shoes tight/close enough to the drum for the automatic adjustment to work, after they start to wear. Low pedal height is also a problem if they are not adjusted close to the drum.

One easy way favored by shops (who don't care for, or have time for, returns) is to set the emergency brake about halfway - not reefed down hard but all the slack out of the cables and shoes making contact. Then adjust the star wheel tight till it stops turning. Release emergency brake. Check for drag when spinning wheel. Incidentally, it's best to bleed wheel cylinders with the shoes adjusted all the way tight on the drum as well.

 

I seem to remember something about tightening them manually enough that they spin one and a half rotations with a good spin of the wheel by hand. Does that sound like the proper starting point?

 

And thanks for the fast reply.

 

Something like that. A little bit even on the tight side won't really hurt anything. The idea initially is basically to take up all the slack in the braking system, though - a free spinning wheel assembly will NOT self-adjust. Ever.

 

Thanks, I didn't see all the parking brake instructions in your first reply. It didn't show up in my email alert, just the first paragraph.
I'm doing that adjustment now.
Thanks again.

 

Heya Carloespo,
Even though this has been answered, I'm moving this to the appropriate forum since this has nothing to do with the engine. In the future, it's always best to select a forum appropriate to which part of the vehicle you're working on.

 

That's the wrong way to adjust drum brakes. You should never have to engage the e-brake to adjust the shoes.

The correct way to do it is to turn the starwheel (which pushes the shoes out toward the drums) until you can hear the shoes make contact with the drum while you're turning the wheel. When you hear the shoe contact the drum all the way around and you start to feel them drag a little, they are adjusted correctly.

The self-adjusting mechanism is junk and doesn't work. Also, don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can just back up and they will magically adjust. It doesn't work that way.

 

Actually, the "correct" way is to remove the drum and then adjust. This per the manual.

Nobody does this.

In any case there's more than one way to skin a cat. I didn't say anyone has to do it this way but the "emergency-brake method" does work well, a hybrid procedure developed by brake shops who don't like callbacks.

Regardless of the technique the basic idea is to take up all of the slack (in the braking system return springs, cylinders and shoes and such) before making the adjustment.

 

This isn't true. I'm willing to accept that I might be wrong, but I would need to see the Ford factory shop manual that says this first. If it were the case, there wouldn't be holes for adjusting starwheels in the backing plates. Also, when a wheel is torqued down, it compresses the hat of the drum and alters the diameter. In some vehicles, you can adjust the shoes so the drum barely fits on, and when you torque the wheel down you have to adjust the brakes again.

I'm going to have to disagree with you here too. There may be more than one way to skin a cat, but there is almost always a right way and several less-than-right ways. Adjusting shoes with the parking brake engaged falls into the latter category in my opinion.

What happens to the slack that you took up with the e-brake when you release it? Doesn't the shoe retract, causing the distance between the shoe and drum increase, causing a condition that requires adjusting the brakes the correct way in the first place?

I just don't understand why someone would take a shortcut like this when doing it the right way isn't that much harder. If you run a shop and want to reduce callbacks, then you do things the right way anyway.

 

What, you think I just pull this out of my ***, Gus? LOL But, read for content.

The OP replaced both drums and shoes. The FORD shop manuals specify drum removal for the INITIAL adjustment after shoe replacement - in bold black letters, no less.

It goes on to say that "any other method" will cause damage to the self-adjusters and they won't work right. Again, nobody does this. Jus' Sayin'.

 

Well, I can say this, but it is with this stipulation, I run high friction braking linings which can expand due to the increased heat but...

When I install/adjust drum brakes (and I still have them)........

I measure the drum diameter and adjust the brake linings to be within 1/8" of the diameter....this saves a lot of time cranking the adjuster and I know without a doubt both sides (linings) are adjusted initially equally.....

I tighten the brakes with the drums on, until I have constant contact...then back them off until there is little to no contact (lining to drum) felt or heard.

Then drive the vehicle, applying the brakes heavily several times, then either by touch or with a IR gun, measure the temp of the drums side to side....they should be very close to the same......more than 5 degrees....somebody needs to be tightened (to increase temp) or loosened (to decrease temp)...

and, I have never had a set of self adjusters that didn't work correctly.......

this is from an ol FART whose dad was a salt flat racer running speeds up to 211 mph in the 50's (on drum brakes)

 

Yes, I'm sure that works excellent.

The brake shops don't want two or three cracks at it and a little fine tuning. One and done, they want to "set it and forget it" and don'tcha come back no mo'. They are "old farts" too btw, who do you think discovered that method??