Drum brake, brake shoes installation question

[bavarian_blazer]

Hey guys,

rebuilt my drum brakes the last week. Just thinking about putting on the new drums and have a couple questions:


1.Do I have to turn the star wheel a bit so that fitting is just enough to get the drums on without problems, or can I rely on the self-regulating effect (don't know the right word)

rebuilding:

2.does the left side/the brake on the drivers side have to look exactly like the right, or is it a mirror of the right side. Hope you understand what I'm talking about ;-) may sound a bit weird. on the passenger side of the vehicle, the slightly thicker brake shoe is on the left (if you are looking at the brake drum),but on the driver's side: does it have to be on the left or on the right ... quite confused right now I'm abroad so I don't have any chance to take a look at my Blazer/the drums, maybe I'm not able to mess up something anyway, but I just made up my mind about the brakes and don't know right now wether I put the brake shoes in the right or the wrong way ... wtf?

Here's a pic of the properly installed brakes on my donor/parts truck:

Thanks

Flo

 

[4X4HIGH]

The long shoe always goes to the rear. The brakes are mirror images from left to right side.

 

[tRustyK5]

Agreed, and I generally adjust the star wheel of the adjuster so the drum just barely slips on and I have just a touch of drag when I rotate the drum by hand.

Make sure to take the adjuster assembly apart, clean it and add a thin film of grease so it operates smoothly. Then make sure you occassionally apply the brakes hard in reverse so they actually adjust.

i had really grabby rear brakes on the pick-up...spooky to drive in the rain it was so bad. It was the adjuster so sticky they didn't work which led to shoes too far from the drums.

Rene

 

[bavarian_blazer]

Got it done:

quite nice work after I figured out how to put everything back together. brake shoes are Morse Premium Ceramic shoes, hope they are good!

 

[4X4HIGH]

I wasn't aware that you could get brake shoes in ceramic but i can tell you this, ceramic needs to get HOT before they work good so with that being said IF they truely are ceramic then they might not work too good unless you tow alot and get the brakes pretty hot.

 

[tRustyK5]

Maybe it's just me, but I generally leave the diff under and attached to the truck when I do brakes.

Rene

 

[bavarian_blazer]

trustyk5... you should take a look in my basement, think there are two trucks in parts down there , damn, it's time to get 'r done