Rear Brakes Dragging
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Senior User
Joined: Feb 2000
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Rear Brakes Dragging
I installed a new emergency brake cable and Rabestos rear brake pads last weekend. After driving around, the brakes adjustment tighted up against the drum and applies constant pressure. The drums heat up, I can feel it slowing, and gas milage has been declining.
I pulled the drums again and shortened the adjusting screw to the minimum length. Again they didn't drag, but then they tightened up again and now drag.
Also, I can feel the emergency brake has pressure as soon as I depress it, meaning that the brake pads are right up against the drums.
I'd turn my rotors to increase clearance, but they will probably just adjust tighter. This is occuring on both sides.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
I pulled the drums again and shortened the adjusting screw to the minimum length. Again they didn't drag, but then they tightened up again and now drag.
Also, I can feel the emergency brake has pressure as soon as I depress it, meaning that the brake pads are right up against the drums.
I'd turn my rotors to increase clearance, but they will probably just adjust tighter. This is occuring on both sides.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 601
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From: South Sioux City, NE USA
Rear Brakes Dragging
Maybe your auto-adjusters are in backwards?
I've never worked on mine, but it sounds like the adjusters are working backwards. They are only supposed to work while applying the brakes while going in reverse, correct me if I'm wrong here. It sounds like they are turning while you are going forward. Does this make any sense?
Roger Lane
Test Analyst
Sr. Automated Test Engineer
IBP, Inc.
I've never worked on mine, but it sounds like the adjusters are working backwards. They are only supposed to work while applying the brakes while going in reverse, correct me if I'm wrong here. It sounds like they are turning while you are going forward. Does this make any sense?
Roger Lane
Test Analyst
Sr. Automated Test Engineer
IBP, Inc.
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From: Virginia
Rear Brakes Dragging
I had the same problem and ended up taking the auto adjust part off.(the cable thing and the little flipper). The problem went away and when I was getting it inspected, I told the machanic my problem and he said it was because my parking brake cables where probably froze. Later on I did put new cables on but never tried putting the auto adjusters back on. I wonder if when you replaced the parking brake cable, maybe you've got it adjusted too tight. I always look at a problem like this, as a series of events. It was working fine or had a different problem when I (you) started working on it. So it has to be something I (you) did to cause the new problem.(bad new parts, wrong parts, wrong adjustment, brain lapse etc)
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From: Linwood, N.J. USA!
Rear Brakes Dragging
I have never seen it but have heard of people having the adjusters in backwards. I would pull the drums and check the adjusters very closly.
Jakegypsum // Ford fleet, soup to nuts.
Jakegypsum // Ford fleet, soup to nuts.
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Senior User
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Rear Brakes Dragging
I installed the auto-adjusters with the long part pointing towards the front of the vehicle. Correct? If I remove them, do I have to adjust them manually every few thousand miles?
Also, the emergency brake cable was a bit tight, but I can't see any way to lengthen it. One thing that has seemed to help is I removed the thick rubber piece that the parking brake petal hits when it is released. This only seems to exist to quiet the noise when the brake petal hits, and removing it gave me a little slack in the brake cable.
The dragging seems to have reduced substantially since I removed the rubber piece, but now I'm wondering what's normal. How warm should the drums be after driving for a few miles? They were very hot to the touch, now they're just warm to very warm. Driving on the highway for long times makes them hot to the touch - but my front rotors are just as hot or hotter.
Thanks all for the help!
Also, the emergency brake cable was a bit tight, but I can't see any way to lengthen it. One thing that has seemed to help is I removed the thick rubber piece that the parking brake petal hits when it is released. This only seems to exist to quiet the noise when the brake petal hits, and removing it gave me a little slack in the brake cable.
The dragging seems to have reduced substantially since I removed the rubber piece, but now I'm wondering what's normal. How warm should the drums be after driving for a few miles? They were very hot to the touch, now they're just warm to very warm. Driving on the highway for long times makes them hot to the touch - but my front rotors are just as hot or hotter.
Thanks all for the help!
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Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2001
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From: So Cal
Rear Brakes Dragging
Drums and rotors will get hot, that is what brakes do. They change rolling motion energy to heat energy and if you touch them, yeouch. Even a short trip can make rotors hot, afterall you used the brakes to stop in your driveway didn't ya?
I lean to the theory that your adjusters were installed backwards, I don't have the manual handy so I can't tell you which way is correct. What you have seen is a classic symptom of having the adjusters in backwards, especially if you had to loosen them before they would come out.
As far as the parking brake cable, did you check the entire length for some kind of adjuster. I haven't had to do this on my truck or at least I forgot if I did, but usually there is some kind of turnbuckle in the middle of the cable or somewhere else to adjust things. Or there is often a threaded adjuster at either end. You shouldn't need to do anything unusual to adjust the cable unless you put in a new one(I can't read your posting to check). Wouldn't hurt to lubricate the cable either. A lot of motorcycle shops sell a cool cable lube tool, it fits over one end of the cable and you use a spray can of oil connected to the tool to shoot oil into the cable.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
I lean to the theory that your adjusters were installed backwards, I don't have the manual handy so I can't tell you which way is correct. What you have seen is a classic symptom of having the adjusters in backwards, especially if you had to loosen them before they would come out.
As far as the parking brake cable, did you check the entire length for some kind of adjuster. I haven't had to do this on my truck or at least I forgot if I did, but usually there is some kind of turnbuckle in the middle of the cable or somewhere else to adjust things. Or there is often a threaded adjuster at either end. You shouldn't need to do anything unusual to adjust the cable unless you put in a new one(I can't read your posting to check). Wouldn't hurt to lubricate the cable either. A lot of motorcycle shops sell a cool cable lube tool, it fits over one end of the cable and you use a spray can of oil connected to the tool to shoot oil into the cable.
Good Luck,
Jim Henderson
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