Need help replacing brake shoes.

[acolic]

Hi

I am replacing the parking brake shoes on my truck. It was pretty difficult getting the rear drums off.

I’ve taken the brake shoes off and replaced them with new ones and adjusted everything so that they take the least amount of room.

I can’t get the drums back on either the inside of the brake drums is slightly too small or the new brake shoes are slightly too large.

It looks like the shoes are 1/16” too large.

Only thing I could think of doing is taking a pad sander and sanding down the brake shoes a bit.

Any suggestions?

Thanks


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[crash68]

Sounds like your using the old drums. You may want to have them turned. Usually there is rust around the edge of the drum surface that can make it difficult to get the drums on.
Only other thing I can think of is maybe you have the front and back brakes shoes reversed? There is a way to tell them apart, maybe someone who remembers/knows will chime in.

 

[acolic]

I’m using new shoes, drums, pads and calipers. Completely new job.

Are you saying the brake shoes are not exactly the same that per side there’s a front and rear?


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[Daw14]

Big shoe in back

 

[acolic]

Thanks I’ll check in the morning but I think that’s what I did.

If I’ve got the right brake shoes in the right configuration and I can’t slide the drum on any suggestions?


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[Daw14]

Make sure the adjusters are backed down all the way

 

[gofishn]

Big shoe goes to the back/ rear bumper side of the assembly.
Adjuster, very bottom center, should be all the way "IN" IE as small as it can possibily go.
Even with the slight build of rust drums tend to get, the drum should still slip easily and readily onto and over the new shoes. if not, something is wrong in the assembly.
Plain and simple

 

[HemiLonestar]

Make sure the adjusters are backed down all the way

Not all the way. Adjuster needs to be shortened down just a tad bit more. You want them to just fit on there without interference but as close as possible to the drum hat without touching during normal use. This puts the shoes in their correct position for maximum grip.

 

[13ram1500crew]

Not all the way. Adjuster needs to be shortened down just a tad bit more. You want them to just fit on there without interference but as close as possible to the drum hat without touching during normal use. This puts the shoes in their correct position for maximum grip.

And make sure you lubricate all the contact points in the backing plate so keep the shoes moving freely. Permatex makes a great ceramic grease for this application.

 

[acolic]

Hi

Well I’m back at it and the left and right side parking brake shoes are exactly the same.

I went to another part store and got another set of drum/ rotors and brake shoes and they match the first set.

There is not a larger shoe.

This is how things stand.

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[acolic]

Well I figured it out.

This morning I went to another parts store and got another set of brake shoes. I tried them out but still no luck I could not put the drum on.

I compared the two part store brake shoes with the original brake shoes and I couldn’t see anything different.

I tried the new drums with the old brake shoes and everything worked fine.

I decided to take a micrometer and measure the thickness of the new brake shoes versus the original brake shoes and there was a difference of approximately 1/32.

I went to a Dodge dealer and picked up a set of dealer brake shoes and their thickness was exactly the same as the ones I had removed.

The dealer brake shoes with the new drums worked perfect.

A good lesson although I am a bit bitter.

Hours of wasted time was spent only to find out about the part store brake shoes were slightly too large.

In the end of the truck has new powerstop rotors, pads and calipers.

Thanks for the help.








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[HemiLonestar]

Unfortunately you have to be careful with non-OEM stuff, there are certain things that just don't work on our vehicles (or don't work for long). Engine sensors are another good example.

 

[acolic]

I am just surprised by the tight tolerances required by the brake shoes.

I would not think 1/32 or 1/16 would make that much of a difference.




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[HemiLonestar]

I think it was more your crap shoes or crap adjuster...you can see in this pic how the shoes weren't seated in the slots

 

[SYKRAMMAN]

I think it was more your crap shoes or crap adjuster...you can see in this pic how the shoes weren't seated in the slots

View attachment 146431

Good eye man.

 

[PoMansRam]

Ugh! I've been down this road before with aftermarket p-brake parts for hat in rotor style p-brakes.

For as seldom as you need to replace those parts, it's best to go OEM if you can.

For really bad rear rotors, I'll typically take the vehicle for a little ride with the p brake on in an attempt to break free the rust so I can remove the rotors easier.

Short of that, I'll use an air chisel with a blunt tip carefully around the hub face. Rust belt blues. Lol!