When I pulled apart the rear drum brakes to inspect them, I noticed that both sides did not have the self adjusters hooked up.

I rebuilt the brakes with new wheel cylinders, shoes, and all new hardware too and installed the self adjusters. I didn't replace the drums because I couldn't find any at first, so I just sanded down the inside of the old drum and put it back on. Now my rear brakes screech and squeal at low speeds and it is loud and embarrassing .

I have sourced brand new drums, but have not installed them. Now I have two questions:

1. How much drag should I have with my rear brakes?
2. Do I need to use the self adjusters in the rear or can I drive the truck without them - is there a safety issue with no self adjusters?

Thank you!

 

"Self-adjusters" work OK when everything is all cleaned up, and the adjuster threads lubricated with high temp anti-sieze and the rest of it.

How long they will stay working, at least in the northern rust belt areas, is anybody's guess. Not very long. The cable adjuster supposedly has a tendency to snap eventually too, and all those gee-gaws and whatzillfrazzits start flopping around and jamming themselves into places they shouldn't inside the drum.

"Light drag" is subjective, but it's way more than most people think, I'd say. We're inclined to want a completely smooth free-wheeling spin on the tire, kind of like how disc brake wheels turn. Drum brakes don't work that way. I would also recommend driving it for a little while, a few miles after that first adjustment, and then taking the time to jacking the axle/wheels up off the ground and checking them again and re-adjusting or cinching them up again. About less than a full turn from a hard spin by hand is maybe about right. Loose brake drum shoe adjustment means a low, squishy brake pedal.

Without making the initial shoe adjustment manually, the "self-adjusters" will never work btw, because the new brake shoes never get enough bite on the drums to begin with. They will stay loose forever and ever Amen.

Once the lining starts to wear on properly adjusted brakes, the self-adjuster will move the shoes out one click, and one click only, only when backing up and moving forward again. Somewhere along the way people got the idea they can make major brake shoe adjustments by backing up and slamming the brakes over and over. It doesn't really work that way, not in practice anyway.

 

Thanks @Tedster9 is it okay to leave out the self adjusting hardware all together? Does this pose any safety issues?

 

I think so, but ... it would depend on the adjuster link, everything needs to be tight, know what I mean? The non-adjuster type of link had that spring running directly across it. Somebody who has done this would know better. Of course you'd have to manually adjust them now and then, just like it's 1956.

 

The drums will have some marks on them that specify how much they can be machined and still be useful. You can try and measure them (I have a 12 inch vernier caliper so can do a rough job) but a brake place can tell you and machine them round if there is still enough metal. That should quiet them down.

Regarding how long the self adjuster will last in the rust belt climate, it is worth asking if this is a daily driver in bad weather? If not, they should last for years with an occasional cleaning.

 

I live in Placerville, CA. The summers are hot and dry and you just never know what kind of winter it’s going to be - some years it seems like it rains every day until March or so and some winters it seems like it rains a couple of days and that’s all you get. I don’t have rust issues on any of my other vehicles.

The Ranger has some light surface rust from sitting in a field for the past 20 years and has a lot of dead old spiders especially all over the tranny and the old wheels and brakes.

Id like to get the Ranger to daily driver status.

 

You will find the self adjuster will survive quite well in California. It is the salt that does them in.

 

Since you are planning on a daily driver...you do want the self adjusters. Removing them doesn't disable or make the brakes unsafe. It will just be a pain to keep adjusting the drums.

 

There is something a little obscure you might want to take a look at when you get a chance btw, your comments reminded me of this. The differential has a vent tube or hose, usually mounted to the brake line distribution block and then snakes around and terminates at a higher point right under the bed. Check that the end of the hose is clear, make sure critters haven't set up shop inside the hose and blocked it. Mud daubers like to do this for some reason.

The vent is kind of important and if it's blocked the pressure built up inside the differential could maybe cause rear axle oil seals to fail and spooge 90w gear oil all over your nice new brake overhaul!