E Brake Adjustment

[tdhardy]

I've got a 73 short/wide and the left drum won't spin when off the ground. I think the e-brake is adjusted to tightly. I looked on the back plate where drum brake adjustment holes usually reside, and there is nothing. I cannot pull the drum off because of the tension from the shoes. Help me please. I'm not an idiot, but feel like one. Thanks. tdhardy

 

[davbell22602]

I've got a 73 short/wide and the left drum won't spin when off the ground. I think the e-brake is adjusted to tightly. I looked on the back plate where drum brake adjustment holes usually reside, and there is nothing. I cannot pull the drum off because of the tension from the shoes. Help me please. I'm not an idiot, but feel like one. Thanks. tdhardy

That doesnt sound good. Probably gonna have to take off the drum anyways face whatever happens and reinstall the shoes, etc. Just guessing though.

 

[crazy4offroad]

You're just gonna have to pry the **** out of it a little at a time. Hate when that happens. Once you get it about an inch off you might be able to get a screw driver up in there to loosen it. Also you may want to check and make sure you have the correct adjuster for the side it's on. Take off the one on the other side and make sure the threads are opposite from each other. (One will be right hand thread, other will be left hand thread.) Otherwise if you have the wrong one on one side, the e-brake gets tighter every time you hit the brakes!

 

[skysurfer]

For my '89 GM put the knockout tab on the backing plate, but I have a Haynes Manual for the '67-'87 trucks and it shows some trucks had the knockout on the outside of the drum. So did you check both sides? It's gotta be there somewhere.

 

[tdhardy]

Thanks for the input fellas. I discovered the adjustment hole on the drum itself (weird), and spoke to a mechanic buddy, he says the adjustment hole needs to be at 6 oclock to line up the the adjuster. Tough to do when it won't budge. I also took the coupler off of the e-brake cable so it's loose. I can feel the drum hanging up on the shoes as I pull it away from the back plate and it snaps right back into place. I also beat the sh*t out of it with a hammer to free up any rust. Still no go.

 

[Irishman999]

Try snipping off the rods that hold the shoes on with springs. I dont know the techincal name for them but maybe you could pry them out far enough with a screwdriver and cut the heads off with a pair od DIAGONAL SIDE CUTTERS. Im just assuming you have the same 1/2 ton 10 bolt I do. Im not sure my idea would work with that bar going between the two shoes. Maybe it would get it loose enough to get more prying room.

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[skysurfer]

I would put the tires back on and try to force the drum around to the six o'clock position by driving forward. Should have to only go a couple of feet. If you can move the drum and it snaps back that means the shoes are probably sitting in a groove worn into the drum. Backing the adjuster all the way off should release it.

 

[tdhardy]

Problem solved. Thanks gentlemen.

I almost had to roast the tires, but I managed to turn the drum to where the adjustment hole was at 6 oclock. From that point I could back off the shoes and free up the drum. I have no clue how or why this happened, but I now know what to do if it happens again. Regards and thanks again for all the input.

 

[HotRodPC]

Welcome TD. Come back and visit again soon. Need to post up some pics of your 73 too. We don't have many of the first year squarebody trucks on here.

 

[Old77]

Glad that it got worked out! That is a strange deal

 

[davbell22602]

Yep glad you got it fixed.