69 11in Drum Brakes

[Terry Hauck]

I cannot get my front brakes right. I have changed the shoes, springs and wheel cylinders twice and they still pull. Sometimes to the left sometimes to the right. I have adjusted them many times with the same results. I know it can be done because I have a 69 Chevy C-10 pick up with drums all around and it's fine. What am I missing??

 

[Russ69Runner]

Their is a section in the service manual on the adjustment of the brake shoes. New shoes are trying for sure. With the car jacked up spin the wheel then tighten the adjuster till you get resistance. Then do the other side. By resistance the the wheel starts to slow down. Then run it. I have some chatter in mine and think the drum's need to be turned. But it is not bad. It did pull a little to the right the first time and loosened up the adjuster a few notches. Now it stops straight. Wish you the best and working with drum brakes is not the same as the disc brakes.

 

[V.R.D]

if they are new shoes then as they ware in you will need to adjust for the first few hundred miles. in the old days we would ark the shoes to the drum.

i will spin the wheel and start clicking the adjust till i feel a good drag then do the other side the same then go for a ride and do 6 to 10 40 mph stops e-z on the brake to burnish the shoes in

 

[V.R.D]

Their is a section in the service manual on the adjustment of the brake shoes. New shoes are trying for sure. With the car jacked up spin the wheel then tighten the adjuster till you get resistance. Then do the other side. By resistance the the wheel starts to slow down. Then run it. I have some chatter in mine and think the drum's need to be turned. But it is not bad. It did pull a little to the right the first time and loosened up the adjuster a few notches. Now it stops straight. Wish you the best and working with drum brakes is not the same as the disc brakes.

beat me by 2 min .... lol

 

[Russ69Runner]

Sorry buddy.

 

[V.R.D]

Sorry buddy.

great minds think alike

 

[Russ69Runner]

 

[Terry Hauck]

I have done all of that many times. Could it be in the lines or the master cylinder?

 

[V.R.D]

not likely . have you bleed the front wheel cylinders ? if you have a bad rubber line it could have a restriction . but it would always be the same side pulling.

have you check the rear they can make the pull and seam like the front ?

you could take some sand paper and sand the shoes to ruff them up then take some 80 grit and sand the drum surface where the shoes ride and see if it will help.
this will help if the shoes are glazed. then do step stops to brake in start at 20 miles an hour and go up 10 each time to slowly brake them.

 

[Terry Hauck]

Yes I have bleed them and the rubber lines are new too. I have not checked the back but if you don't hold the steering wheel tight it will pull it out of your hands left or right. I will try it to eliminate everything I can first.

 

[V.R.D]

Yes I have bleed them and the rubber lines are new too. I have not checked the back but if you don't hold the steering wheel tight it will pull it out of your hands left or right. I will try it to eliminate everything I can first.

check the rear adjustment remember the rear brakes have to apply first . read the factory service manual on how the system works. i have been told it is on the forum to down load free. it has a trouble shooting section.

 

[Terry Hauck]

Guess I've never looked thru this whole site. That's some great info. Thanks

 

[Russ69Runner]

Never heard of the steering wheel pulling out of you hand when applying brake's. Have you had the alignment checked. Are all the front end part's new. Sounds like something other than brake's.

 

[Terry Hauck]

I don't know but it only happens when you hit the brakes. Other than that the front end and steering is straight and true.

 

[droptop]

Just a thought, but there could be something floating around in the distribution box. That is odd that it would pull hard in one direction and then the other way the next time you apply the brakes. Or is it switching directions is the same braking application? If that is the case, then you just need to loosen the wheel that is pulling first.

 

[69hemibeep]

16:1 steering increases the pull to the wheel also, but not the problem

 

[Terry Hauck]

It doesn't switch. If it's left it stays left. I'm going to bleed the whole system and see what that does.

 

[Russ69Runner]

Back off on the adjuster on that wheel as stated. Before bleeding the hole system. Might want too check the right side to see if you have a trapped air bubble or something like that.

 

[nevada dan]

are you putting the small shoe in the front?, could be that simple

 

[Larry Chilese]

might not be the brakes-if the pivot shaft bushing are worn they can result in lower control arm movement and that is attached to your brakes.
I know this for a fact and I have put a micrometer on the drum face and watched the dial move, not a little bit either.