I have a rear brake drum on my ½ ton that turns freely until it is pushed all the way onto the axle…then, even with the adjusters backed off so far that there is space between them and the brake shoes, it takes a lot of effort to get it to turn.
All the brake drums appear to be new. From what I have read, there should be a bit of a chamfer on the back edge of the drums and there is. There is no evidence of wear on the inside (friction) surface of the drums. They all appear to be “new” although there was light surface rust on each.
I have completed going over the brakes on three wheels of my project, which has a ’42-’46 chassis. The brakes were done by a previous owner about 30 years ago and the truck has never used since. (So, many of the components were “new” but have been sitting, installed, that long.)
I am replacing the rubber hoses and going through the master and wheel cylinders – all of which appeared to have been new when PO did the work. (I found that the two rear wheel cylinders were same model as the front and I replaced them with the correct (smaller bore) units.)
It has taken me more time than I expected to do this brake work and I was pleased to think I was near the end…but now when I put the left rear drum in place, it turns rather freely until I snug it down against the axle flange with the lug nuts.
I have checked the hand brake cable (disconnected completely, forward of the pulleys) and it is not tight where it connects to the Emergency Brake Toggle Lever.
When I had it all apart, I made sure to clean up all the parts and apply a small amount of brake part lube to the pins, clips and backing plate friction points. Before attaching the Brake Shoe Retracting Spring everything seemed to be moving as freely as it should.
Any suggestions?
Nick 1940 KC Model 1/2 Ton Pickup Project (with '37-'39 Bed and what we think is a '42-'46 Frame) Taos, New Mexico
