> > screw clockwise to tighten, or counter clockwise to loosen, untill you can
> > no longer turn the wheel. then slacken of the adjuster one click.
>
> I would think this should read "until you no longer feel the
> brakes dragging" instead of "can no longer turn the wheel".
>
> I am thinking that one click away from "can't turn the wheel" would
> still have the brakes applied a little. Don't want that.
>
> well, i must also say, i can sometimes be wrong. that other thing
> about useing the emergency brake to adjust the rear brakes has been
> refered to me also. maybe my response was a little hasty, but i only
> wanted to help.
Actually, nik, you're just off a little bit.
You need to accomplish 2 things when you adjust the brakes. You need to
get them resting as close as possible to the drum, AND you want them
concentric with the drum surface.
When you screw in the adjuster, it pushes the _bottoms_ of the shoes
outward against the drum. The tops of the shoes haven't moved yet, so
the shoes aren't concentric with the drum. One way of correcting this is
to torque the %^*^&% out of the poor little adjuster. Something will
have to give, and the only thing that can give is the shoes will slide
upward. Then back off the adjuster, not just by 1 flat, but to the first
flat where the shoes are clear of the drum. You don't want constant
friction back there - if you did, why not just drive around with the
parking brake engaged? :}
Turning it in until it first starts to drag, then off 1 flat, doesn't
get you the best possible adjustment. The first time you step on the
brake pedal, the shoes will move upward to get themselves concentric
with the drum, and your clearance at the bottom will increase. So,
Turn the adjuster clockwise till it first starts to grab, then stomp the
brake pedal to recenter the shoes. If the wheel turns freely after that,
repeat till it doesn't. Finally, when you've stomped the pedal and the
wheel still doesn't turn freely, back off the adjuster 1 flat. Done.
Lower the car and do the other wheel.
Bill Kelly
'62 Herald and '68 TR250 with rear drum brakes with manual adjusters
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