I have a 95 F150 4X4 and just replaced the rear shoes. Everything went back together just fine and even replaced the springs.

The issue is the left drum doesn't want to go back on. The right one slipped on easily. The star adjusters are adjusted all the way in. I even took it back apart to be sure that I had it together correctly.

I'm thinking the drum may be out of round. Any opinions? I've not had this issue before. Of course, the truck has over 200K on the clock.

Thanks!
Russ Lane
Austin, Tx.

 

does not sound like you put something back on correctly.

is the emergency brake on?

emergency cable rusted on one drum?

shoes on correctly?

should look opposite on one side.

you really should have the drums turned but that is probably not why it won't go on.

look at your repair manual photos and make sure everything is on correctly.

did you do one side and then the other?

that is how i was taught.

 

Yep, did one side at a time. Emergency brake isn't on. This is weird. I can't find anything that is out of order on this, the left side is just the opposite of the right. But the left side won't go on.

Russ Lane
Austin, Tx.

 

I do not believe the drum would be so out-of-round as to cause this--was there any pulsing upon brake application, to make you suspect it being out of round? Again, doubt that is the cause but to eliminate this as a possibility, temporarily switch the drums from side to side, and see if the other drum goes on.... Actually, merely rotating it, were it out-of-round, would accomplish the same thing, but switching them, temporarily, is perhaps more certain.

I know you said you have the "star adjuster" adjusted to it's shortest dimension, right?

Next I would make certain the e-brake cable is releasing fully--they can get rusty and "hang up," causing a partially-expanded-show condition.

Next, make sure the shoe-ends are sitting down in the proper places on the anchor pin on the backing plate--if they're sitting up on the raised shoulder of the anchor pin, it's larger diameter would make one shoe partially "extended," as if the brakes were on.

Also, make sure the pins which sit in the cups in the slave cylinders are fully seated up against the cups/slave cylinders. Similarly, make sure the other ends of these pins are properly seated in their notches on the back sides of the shoes and/or e-brake lever arm (can't recall exactly how they contact the shoes, as I do brakes on a few, different vehicles myself).

Not that it should make a difference (at least, I don't think it should) but make sure you didn't put both primary shoes on one side, and both secondaries on another. This is a common mistake (I've done it at least once--LOL).

This is intriguing--let us know?

BigSix1

 

This happened to me the new shoes and springs I got they changed the holes the springs go on but didn't include a diagram once I figured this on they went on like butter!!

 

Pull the drum off the good side and see if it will fit on the problem side. I doubt it's a bad drum, but anything is possible.

Jay

 

I appreciate all of the suggestions, thank you.

I'm a dumb ***. I pulled the other drum and it wouldn't go on either and the one i couldn't get on the left side just slid on the right side.

I was more than perturbed at this point. I once again popped all the springs and removed the shoes, determined that I was going to find some kind of manufacturing defect.

I held the self adjuster in my hand and could see one little thread. One little thread! I turned it in one turn and reassembled the brakes and lo and behold, the drum slid on with a minimum of encouragement on my part. Sheeit!

So, I adjusted both sides and took it for a drive. I still have more pedal than I like but it stops well with no grinding. I'm happy.

I'll takle the front brakes when I get my manual hubs and hopefully that will take up the rest of the play in the pedal.

Thanks for the help once again. You all always come through when I'm stumped. Which is more often than not.

Just for the record, the four shoes are identical. There is no primary and secondary shoe.

Russ Lane
Austin, Tx.

 

Try backing up for a long distance on a gravel road thats what I do after I replace shoes seems to tighten them up good.

 

glad you got it.

it had to be something small that was not just right and in fact it was.

miller time.

 

I bet you have the shoes mixed up, if you look at them closely there will be a pair with slightly less friction material, these have to go towards the front on both sides or the rear will develop a tendancy to lockup. It's likely you put the 2 smaller shoes one side and the larger pair on the other where the drum wouldn't fit.

 

That is indeed possible. The shoes look identical but never thought to look at the thickness of the friction material. Damn.

I have a wedding to attend today so I won't be working on it until tomorrow. But I will pull the wheels again Monday and check this out.

Thanks again!

Russ Lane
Austin, Tx.

 

The shoes look identical but never thought to look at the thickness of the friction material.

Its not the "thickness" of the friction material, one shoe has more of it, a longer section of it covering the metal part of the shoe.

I'd say just about without doubt that is what you have going on there, you have the two primary's on one side, and the secondary's on the other side.

The posts by the others up there^^^ give ya what ya need to correct it, just wanted to touch on the thickness comment to make sure you understand what to look for.

 

oops! Man, I feel stupid. What makes it worse is that I looked at all four shoes before I started because I knew that there was supposed to be a difference and I didn't see it. It's obvious too.

Thanks for your help. The drums slip on like they are supposed to now.

Russ Lane
Austin, Tx.

 

now that the shoes are on correctly does it stop more to your liking?

glad you finally got it together.

 

Not really. Too much pedal. Set out to bleed the system this morning and found one of the bleeders on the front completely broken off.
Yippee! I guess this is what we get when we like old trucks.

Russ Lane
Austin, Tx.