THANKS to all for the advice on fixing my rear brakes.
I initially thought the problem was with the wedges or the adjusting
screw, but NO, it was the highly variable size of the brake shoes
themselves.
We measured at least six pairs of shoes against a known good pair that
was at least 30 years old. When you set the shoes on edge with the
lining facing up and match the metal shoes against each other (ignoring
the linings) the new shoes were approximately 1/10 inch (0.10) shorter!
No wonder I ran out of adjustment range.
The solution that was suggested by several list members was to weld a
bead of metal along the edge of the shoe where it meets the adjuster or
wheel cylinder. A simple job to weld, grind the sides and edges smooth,
coat the raw metal with lacquer to prevent rusting and install. Wow! I
have plenty of range left now and a parking brake that works at four clicks!
I also discovered a bad wheel cylinder and leaking hub o-ring, now fixed.
Thanks to all for the help and no thanks to the lousy aftermarket
supplier of inferior and inconsistent products.
Lee
Lee Fox wrote:
> I've run out of adjustment range on the rear brakes. New shoes, etc.
> I seem to recall that there was some talk about some adjustment wedges
> were longer or wider than others and that you could weld a bead of metal
> on one to make it bigger.
> Anyone remember the details about this?
> Thanks.
> Lee
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