The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Rear brake issue - 64 K10

Hoping to get some help with a rear brake issue I'm having. My rear drivers side brake continues to freeze/lock up. It has been happening repeatedly. It appears that the brake shoes don't back off from the drum. When I remove the drum there is a lot of dust from the brake shoes.

After I clean and adjust the brakes it continues to happen.

A friend of mine suggested that it could be the drum itself....having some uneven ware that "catches" the shoes.

Any help or direction will be appreciated. Thanks John

Has the shoes ever had brake fluid or rear end grease leaked on them? If so, replace them, they will never come clean,
Scott

Not to my knowledge has oil or grease leaked on them.

Should I replace both wheels' pads or just the wheel I'm having trouble with? Does it make sense to replace all of the springs as well? They look to be original.

Relatively speaking, shoes and spring kits are rather inexpensive and a vital part of the "Start/Steer/Stop" approach, to mechanical success.

A well maintained, properly functioning rear drum brake system is adequate for most stopping scecarios. In some cases, there may be some blockage, inhibiting equal line pressure on both rear wheel cylinders, causing them to be out of sync. Make sure the hard/soft lines are free of obstructions, as well as bench-testing the rear wheel cylinders for proper operation.

With the rear wheel cylinders removed from the backing plates, the rubber boots can be removed, exposing the cylinder bore. If the inner caps are moving in & out freely, by way of the inner spring, they should be fine, however it may be necessary to completely disassemble and hit them with a wheel cylinder hone, to ensure there is no friction in the cylinder travel.

A complete visual inspection & routine house-cleaning inside the drums, always goes a long way toward preventive maintenance and gives a bit of "peace-of-mind".

I appreciate the recommendations. Some of this seems a bit more involved than I'm comfortable with handling. I'll have to a see how to approach this. Thanks John

With a digital camera and the Assembly manual, you can do it, with little trouble. The alternative is to have the work done at a local shop, but beware. The M.O. of most shops, is to sells parts and the labor rate, to install them. I would be glad to chat with you on the phone, if you like.

Tony that is very generous of you and I would like to take you up on the offer. I plan on addressing this shortly after the New Year.

I'm very interested in learning how to do this. Thanks again for the offer. Happy Holidays and a healthy New Year!

John

If your brakes are the same...

Assembly sequence for a "typical" GM drum brake
1966 GM half-ton pickup (Delco Shown, Bendix similar)

drum brakes assembly

Tony would know if they are or not.

-W

I'm looking to try and address the brakes this weekend. Are there any special tools that I need to do this work? I know places like sears sells drum brake tool kits. Not sure if I need these types of tools or not.

I know there is a tools forum, but given your experience....?

Drum brake tools are relatively inexpensive. While not entirely necessary, they make the job easier...it's just that you won't use them very often. All in all, definitely worth getting a 3- or 4-piece set.

cm