Brake issues
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 83
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From: rocky mt. nc
Brake issues
I replaced my rear drums and brake shoes because the rear brakes grab if I step on the pedal hard. I also noticed the brakes would pulse like I had warped rotors. I have drums on front and back. I returned the drums and got new ones again but it's doing the same thing. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 2,063
Likes: 137
From: tucson
Some people recommend having new drums turned. Not everything new is as it should be. Do your brakes have any kind of pressure regulator to help prevent the rears from locking up? (I can't remember what it's called)
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 83
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From: rocky mt. nc
Since I've replaced the rear drums twice I don't think that's the issue. The front brakes have been adjusted and I was considering the front drums but I wanted to get some input before I tried that
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Drum brake systems are more complicated than discs & rotors, and it's even more complicated now because they likely have a lot of years and/or miles on them. One thing that often gets overlooked, pull the drum and inspect the backing plate wear pads, there are three raised flat pads that each individual shoe slides back and forth upon. They are supposed to be lubricated, but they get deep gouges regardless in them with lots of miles. This defect can prevent the shoes from retracting or snapping back smartly as they are supposed to.
Weak return springs, they need replacing as part of a brake job and included in the kits. Also the brake hoses can rot from the inside out and can cause this kind of problem too, or corrosion and crud in the lines. Fluid goes in the wheel cylinders, but it meets too much resistance coming back out for whatever reason. Finally, the park brake cables & assembly can fail to retract fully.
Weak return springs, they need replacing as part of a brake job and included in the kits. Also the brake hoses can rot from the inside out and can cause this kind of problem too, or corrosion and crud in the lines. Fluid goes in the wheel cylinders, but it meets too much resistance coming back out for whatever reason. Finally, the park brake cables & assembly can fail to retract fully.
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 14,255
Likes: 199
From: Phoenix, Az.
2X Ted. I can only add the fact that the front brakes to more work than the rears. So they are a bit more vulnerable to warped drums. Do you feel the pulse more in the steering wheel or from the seat? From the steering wheel equals front drums warped. From the seat equals the rears more likely. Also make sure all lug nuts are tight. If from the steering wheel then take the front drums in to be turned. If there is enough meat left on them to do so legally. Note, the more times they are turned the faster they can warp.
Now on your original problem, Is the brake light on on your dash?
Now on your original problem, Is the brake light on on your dash?
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2015
Posts: 482
Likes: 51
From: Lincoln, Nebraska
Just an idea but are the front/rear lines reversed? On mine the rear reservoir is for the front, front reservoir for the rear. Maybe that doesn’t necessarily matter.
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2018
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From: Harrisburg
My vote is the drums as stated above.
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 83
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From: rocky mt. nc
I don't feel it in the steering wheel so that would lead me to believe it's coming from the back. Problem is I had that problem with new drums, took them back and got another set. It stopped for a while but started again. All the hoses, springs etc have also been replaced
Mountain Pass
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 187
Likes: 14
Welp, I will state the obvious issues in case you overlooked it. The drums should have balancing weights and be true. Tough to check for true/straight at home, but you can just turn them with the wheels off the ground and see if they don't spin and grab equally all the way around. If you bought drums that are not milled square, then chances are you can swap them 4-5 times before you find a good set. Return them and go somewhere else to see if a different brand works better. The grabbing is what they are supposed to do when you hit the pedal hard. If you think they are locking up too soon, or before the fronts, then you may need to change the fronts or back off the self-adjuster in the rear.
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