I am having a problem with my rear brakes. I have installed new drums, shoes and all hardware. the problem is when right side is tightened up I can turn the tire and wheel easily. When I tighten up the left side, it will not turn freely. I have to loose the wheel bolts and drum to get it to turn. To move the project car around , I have to remove the left side hardware and drum. Any ideas on what the problem could be would be very welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading.
Can you post some pics, ensure everything is assembled correctly. What car did the rear and brakes come from, did they come together. Or have to be pieced back together. Are you saying you have to loosen the wheel, lug nuts ?
Bent axle?? Parking brake lever not bottomed out?? If the parking brake lever is partially applied the shoes will be off centered to the axle centerline when trying to install the drum. Bill
The star wheels may be mixed up. Look for ruts on the backing plates that can hang up a shoe. Any drum brake job, before the drum goes on, pull on the star wheel, that tells you if a shoe is hung up ot something is out of place. I agree on the e-brake possibly be partially engaged. The equalizer bar should be free.
Thanks for your suggestions. Still can't get it working right. I have decided to convert to rear disc brakes. Easy installation, not to pricey and way better performance. Thanks again for your replies.
I had a similar problem. The aftermarket rim I was using had too large of an outer ring where the rim contacts the brake drum. As you tightened the lug nuts they felt kind of spongy. The drum was bending as the lug nuts were tightened, and causing the drum to press against the brake shoe. Someone else posted that same problem on here a few months ago. I fixed mine by using some 1/8 inch thick wheel spacers.
If the drum is hitting the backing plate when you tighten the wheel up I have seen the axle tube coming out of the center section. Something you might want to look at.
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