adjusting drum brakes

[zed]

No matter how carefully I adjust the drum brakes on my Nissan Hardbody/D21, the brake shoes keep dragging very slightly for part of the turn of the wheel - the shoes are touching the drum. If I back the brake shoes off until they don't touch the drum at all, the brakes need a double pump before they grip. I've read that this is caused by drums which are out of round/oval. So the fix would be to have the drums turned on a lathe. However, I had this same problem on my Toyota Landcruiser truck brakes, and I bought a set of new OEM drums for it (cost big $)- but this did not fix the problem. Is there a trick to this? Or must I live with it. thanks for any advice

[flatcat19]

Shoes are supposed to touch the drum.

You do not want them loose.

Drum brakes will always be partially energized.

 

When adjusting a set of drums, you want a slight bit of resistance.

[zed]

does a dragging brake shoe not cause heat, worse gas mileage and reduce available horsepower? Seems a bit inefficient to me?

[mklotz70]

The new ones could have been out of round too. Most parts stores will put them on the lathe and Do a trueing cut for free. I've done it a handful of times and they always needed it.

Your axle could have a slight bend in it, but the hb axles are pretty stout so I doubt it.

When you've turned the adjuster to where you think it should be, press the pedal down firmly to recenter the shoes in the drums. You can probably adjust a bit closer after that. Do that several times. It's okay for it to rub here and there, but it shouldn't be a hard rub.

[zed]

thankyou for the advice

[metalmonkey47]

does a dragging brake shoe not cause heat, worse gas mileage and reduce available horsepower? Seems a bit inefficient to me?

 

To an extent, sure. But think of it like disk brakes: your pads are always in contact with the rotor. Any distance between the shoe and the drum results in a loss of braking strength. The contact that your shoes make with the drum will be minimal.

[datsunaholic]

They never adjust right the first time. The shoes aren't centered. I adjust until there's a slight drag, drive around the block, and adjust again.

[EricJB]

Heres a method you might want to try. I've been doing it this way for 35 years and its always worked for me. Instead of tightening the adjuster till the wheel gets tight , tighten the adjuster til the adjuster gets tight. That wil center the shoe to the drum. Then back it off till the wheel spins 2 to3 revolutions with very little drag to stop it. Usually 5 to 7 clicks. Its kind of a pain in the ass with self adjusting brakes , they dont like to go backwards . But on old Datsuns(with that stupid sliding adjuster) and VWs, you get full pedal every time. Never had one get hot.

[zed]

thanks - I'll try it