:rolleyes:

Had to do my brakes this week. Don't have a place to work, so I did them in the parking lot behind the electrical substation outside where I live... :cool:

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s314/HS2500/0329081608a.jpg

Gotta love it. Don't even mention the jack... I know, not exactly a safe way to do it. Gotta do what you gotta do though, and I don't have a real jack. Just had to make do, I made sure it was stable, then pulled the drum without getting under there. When I got in there to do the shoes I let it down onto some bricks I found laying around so it was relatively safe. Do not as I do...

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s314/HS2500/0402081253a.jpg

The fun part was when I couldn't get the driver's side drum off... Not even stuck on the (nonexistent) shoes... Just stuck on the end of the axle, too much rust from running without hubcaps (there has been some flooding in my area lately as well - there's been a lot of water up in there, salty water from the road salt too - not too long ago they were pumping out the first floor of building in the background with a gas powered trash pump). Didn't matter how hard I tried it wouldn't come off, I even borrowed a bigger hammer from one of the shops nearby (the biggest hammer I have at the moment is a slag hammer - not much use for this job) and still no luck. I finally had to get into the differential, took it apart, popped the retaining ring for the driver's side axle and pulled the wheel, brake drum, and axle as a unit... Came right off. Then I took the axle with the drum stuck on it, tipped it up so the drum pointed down and dropped it forcefully on the sidewalk. Drum fell right off on the third try... Fun job in a parking lot though let me tell you.

After that I fired up my generator (no power out in the parking lot :mad:) and grinder, ran it around that axle shaft and took all the rust off. Then I coated it with grease, hopefully it won't be so problematic to remove in the future.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s314/HS2500/0402081407a.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s314/HS2500/001-1.jpg

Thought I'd post some pics up here... Can't say I'd recommend doing things this way though.

ouch. talk about doing it the hard way. we'll overlook the jack this time.:D

Kudos for the positive, can do attitude. Yankee ingenuity at it's best!

when things were slow at the phone company shop where i worked for years i would jack one corner of my pickup up and do brakes and pack wheel bearings. been a long time ago.

You didn't mention it but I see you threw a tire under the truck to lessen the pain if it fell. Good thinking. Also, I have found that an impact chisel (electric?) will sometimes knock the stuck drums off. Did you turn your rotors?

I see you used a screw jack. Love my 3 1/2 ton floor jack although at my age, it/s getting a little difficult to lift.

Joel

Joel, you got that right. My kids bought me a four ton floor jack for last Father's Day. It's a Craftsman, which doesn't say much. I know it takes much more effort and a lot more strokes to raise a vehicle than my 30+ year old Walker 1 1/2T does. I hate to sound ungreatful but......bright side, I don't have to use the Total Gym nearly as often!

I'm reasonably sure it's just old age and mis-spent youth that makes pumping that handle so hard. Not to mention degenerative arthritis in both wrists. (too many hours running the 3/4 impact gun) Geez I hate admitting I'm old! Maybe I can come up with an extension handle to easy the frustration!!

i am trying to do my drum brakes right now - and not surprisingly, having a hard time. i have everything put back together now but the two shoes are not fitting correctly at the very top where that pin sticks out that holds the return springs.
if i could figure out how to post pictures of them could someone tell me what is wrong?
basically, the top of each shoe has that semi-circle cut out of it wheret they fit together around that large stud that has the pin that holds the springs. It seems like only one of the shoes fits snug up against it, where as the other one does not. Not sure why - can anyone help?
thanks,
Paul

If you can get some pictures up I could probably tell what's going on. I have noticed that sometimes you have to give the shoe a good smack with your before it will seat.

Yeah, that's why I put the tire under there (although it really wouldn't have done anything I don't think), then I found the bricks a little later. I knew it wasn't very safe, but I don't have another option, and I figured the chances of it falling were actually relatively small as it was pretty stable and on a hard level surface...

I don't have a garage so I have no place to put a real jack, much less the money to purchase one. I couldn't even leave it in my truck if I locked it up... I have WAY too many vandalism/theft problems, the most recent of which occured last night when somebody dumped a bucket of used motor oil all over my truck. Apparently there are some people in my area that don't like me too much.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn36/paulborian/P1010145.jpg?t=1207507634 (javascript:void(0);)http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn36/paulborian/P1010146.jpg?t=1207507659

here are some pics - see how they do not fit together up top. After pumping the brakes a few times it almost seemed like the one on the right could just pop right out of the anchor. I would think they should both fit snug against it. Can you see anything wrong here?
thanks,
paul

Paul,

Make sure the wheel cylinder is fully collapsed and not holding your brake shoes apart. If this is the problem, just open the bleed valve to collapse the extensions. Sometimes the parking brake strut (long flat steel plate with "U" shaped ends) is reversed or turned front to back. Assuming everything is assembled correctly, one of the shoes is hanging up on the backing plate. Pull outward on the shoes while pushing them together at the top.

Suggestion. If you are replacing shoes and are not familiar with the correct assembly, do one side at a time so you can look at the other side to see how it is put together. Hopefully the last person who did the brakes, did it correctly.

Give the shoe a good slap on the top right where it won't seat down. Also, push the bottom of the other shoe towards the rear. I see what's going on, the shoes are on at a little bit of an angle. You just need to seat them down most likely. They sort of "float" but they won't seat down right unless they are in the right spot.

Also, on a second look, I'm pretty sure the shoe with the thicker lining goes in front.

Paul,

I just looked at your pictures. The parking brake strut is missing a spring which goes on the forward end. The strut and spring go into the notch on the primary shoe (forward shoe with shorter lining). The strut must also go into the notch on the rear secondary shoe (longer lining).

I just looked at your pictures. The parking brake strut is missing a spring which goes on the forward end. The strut and spring go into the notch on the primary shoe (forward shoe with shorter lining). The strut must also go into the notch on the rear secondary shoe (longer lining).

would the strut spring be the thing causing the two shoes not to seat properly against the anchor? i wonder if that would be included in the brake hardware kit that auto parts stores sell?

i still can't get them to fit in place right and i already cracked the bleeder valve on the cylinder so i don't think that is the problem. i will see if i can find that strut spring at a store tomorrow and see what that does.

thanks,
paul

btw a few other things i should mention - first of all the blue "activator link" was broken on the original hardware that's why i had to get a new set of self adjusting brake hardware. I am surprised the brakes even worked at all, but i don't really know what that thing does so maybe it did not matter much.
The other thing is that my parking brake does not work and i would like to fix it - does anyone know if the missing strut spring could be enough to render the parking brake useless?

as usual i got myself into a mess - but at least i am in my driveway and not in a parking lot like high sierra. But then again, if i was high sierra i would already know what i am doing and have the job done by now...

In addition to the missing spring, it does appear from the picture that the slot in the strut is not seated properly in the rear shoe. It's underneath the edge of the shoe, that's what's holding it from snapping into place. This might help, passenger side for orientation......

Okay, let's clarify a bit. I'm not seeing the same issues everybody else is seeing here. The spring isn't causing your problem, that is, as I recall, only there as an anti-rattle anyway, you should probably get it, but not going to cause any of this stuff not to work. The parking brake strut doesn't seat on the rear shoe, it fits onto the front shoe and the parking brake actuator arm.

On a second look, however, it does look like maybe your parking brake actuator strut is installed backwards. You will notice, if you look at the notch in each end of the strut that one is longer than the other. You will also notice the notch on the edge which are for the spring (which is missing). The long notch and the seat for the spring goes toward the front as I recall.

As far as your parking brake issues, that is more likely the cables. I don't see anything there that would cause problems to the actual functionality of the parking brake once it is all assembled.

i did realize that the strut was reversed so i put it on the right way.
since that still did not seem to change the way the tops of the shoes seat against the anchor stud (or whatever it is called) i called the local autozone where there are actually some good mechanics working there and one of them said they don't have to fit exactly against it and that stud is just a guide for them.
It seems to me that everything is in place correctly. It seemed like the old shoes sat in place a little better against the stud but maybe they were just slightly different. Basically either one side or the other fits right against it, depending on how i push things around in there, but not both.

Any last opinions? is this really going to cause problems? i will probably just put it all back together and drive up and down the driveway a few times and see how it works.
thanks,
paul

No, they don't have to fit right up against that, but it should be closer than that. I doubt you'll even get the drum on the way it is right now.

Push down on the rear shoe, I bet it pops into place... But then I suppose you've already tried that as it seems somewhat obvious.

Oh to have a garage...

First let me clarify that we are (?) looking at the drivers side brake. That being the case the parking brake lever appears to be much too forward in the picture - (not too clear in the picture). The bottom of that arm needs to be back towards the rear of the truck, ie to the right. IS your emergency brake on and is the cable holding it forward? The adjustment on the cable may need to be loosened. If you're going to change your emergency cable & housings, Now is the time to do it.

As High Sierra pointed out, the spring is an anti rattle spring but it does help keep the strut in place. The brake shoes should be tight against the top anchor pin when assembled correctly. Make sure the star adjusting wheel at the bottom turns to expand the adjustment screw assembly when the actuation lever comes down on the star wheel.

I've been trying all afternoon to scan a page of the brake assembly but as you can see, no success. I'm going to have to get my daughter over to show me what I'm doing wrong.

make sure your park brake cable is moving freely or it could be hangingyou up. as stated use a rubber malet or you hand and give it a good wang at the 2 oclock position. make sure the little wheel cylinder pin is not bound up. just keep at it you'll get it.

first off i would like to thank everyone for the help!

i was dealing with multiple issues, including a seized up parking brake cable, a broken activator link, at least one fluid leak and possibly a second one plus the adjuster with the star wheel thing was totally seized up (which is probably why the link broke and whoever did the brakes last did not fix it, instead they connected the rear return spring to the center anchor stud the way the front one is instead of to the activator link).

But i have all needed hardware to put it back together correctly now and i think i have it all figured out now. Plus the local mechanic told me he has to come out this way tomorrow morning and could stop by and i am sure he will help me figure out how to get the parking brake working correctly and that after that i should be good to go.
BTW yes this is the driver's side. Once i get it back together i will do the passenger's side and that should be a breeze now that i know what i am doing.

thanks again,
Paul