datzenmike Posted June 19, 2020 Report Share Posted June 19, 2020 Wow I've had it with the rear adjusters. How does Nissan expect you to turn a square adjuster? Too stiff for pliers or channel locks, no hex socket grips a square.... not for long before it's stripped.... have to use vice grips. The 3rd time you adjust the brakes the square is rounded off if the previous owner hasn't fucked it hard first.. I took mine out back and taught it a lesson with my wire feed wrench. Welded a suitable 14mm nut on it. Sooo much better using a ratchet, back and forth while spinning the drum. 2 Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted June 19, 2020 Report Share Posted June 19, 2020 32 minutes ago, datzenmike said: Wow I've had it with the rear adjusters. How does Nissan expect you to turn a square adjuster? Too stiff for pliers or channel locks, no hex socket grips a square.... not for long before it's stripped.... have to use vice grips. The 3rd time you adjust the brakes the square is rounded off if the previous owner hasn't fucked it hard first.. I took mine out back and taught it a lesson with my wire feed wrench. Welded a suitable 14mm nut on it. Sooo much better using a ratchet, back and forth while spinning the drum. Use a quarter inch hex socket set. Reverse the quarter inch hex nut driver and put onto the quarter inch Allen wrench. You now have a quarter inch square nut driver to fit onto the adjuster shaft's square end. It's worked for me for 52 years. 2 Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted June 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2020 This one was already on it's way. The other side was somewhat more squarish. Good tip Mike you know I think I did something like on my '74 but used a ratchet with a Allen socket. It was complicated. Well what's done is done. ..and I got to use my welder. One side adjusted cleaned and greased. Tomorrow I have to replace the other side wheel cylinder. Master is low, the shoes are damp and the cylinder has that jelly/crystal brake fluid stuff on it. Quote Link to comment
510revisited Posted July 18, 2020 Report Share Posted July 18, 2020 On 6/18/2020 at 7:08 PM, MikeRL411 said: Use a quarter inch hex socket set. Reverse the quarter inch hex nut driver and put onto the quarter inch Allen wrench. You now have a quarter inch square nut driver to fit onto the adjuster shaft's square end. It's worked for me for 52 years. I just did this with my rears. Worked a treat. Course mine were in decent shape. Any excuse to use a welding machine is a GOOD thing though. 2 Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted July 21, 2020 Report Share Posted July 21, 2020 Key is to clean the threads and maybe anti seize on them. Makes them ez to turn I had one jam up in the inside spreading the wedge which was a cause also of hard turning Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2020 I took the 4 sided 'cam' out and cleaned and anti seized it good, and the two sliding wedge things. Thought I would have to adjust the e brake but once the new shoes were adjusted the e brake was back to 3-4 clicks, down from 8-9. I think any time brakes are replaced or even looked at, the adjuster and the slides should be rinsed off and re lubed, then the brakes checked for proper adjustment. Because of the square adjusters I was most reluctant to deal with them, adjust or lube them, but with nuts welded on all I need do is reach in with a ratchet and 14mm socket, don't even have to look. Quote Link to comment
MikeRL411 Posted July 21, 2020 Report Share Posted July 21, 2020 6 hours ago, banzai510(hainz) said: Key is to clean the threads and maybe anti seize on them. Makes them ez to turn I had one jam up in the inside spreading the wedge which was a cause also of hard turning The trick is to look and be sure you are on a flat of the adjuster. It is too easy the feel brake drag and assume that you have finished adjusting when you are really riding with the top of the adjuster between flats. Always back off enough the insure you are on a flat side of the adjuster. It should have a little wiggle in it to insure that you are on a flat portion of the stud. I then back off a quarter turn before adjusting the other wheel and brake. If niot you risk wearing out one pair of pads because the other side is free wheeling until you really stomp on the brakes. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted July 21, 2020 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2020 Totally agree on that. With it well lubed it centers it's self. I spin the brake drum by hand to get it in that sweet spot then stomp on the brake to center the adjusted shoes. Then check if it will take more. If the wheel gets stiff I back one bump. Quote Link to comment
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