# brake woes....



## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

I'm having a problem with my rear shoes...it's almost like they do not have enough pressure/force to help slow down the car. i've been driving (lightly) on mostly the disc brakes.

i changed the brakes, the front was a peice o' cake. however, i had so much trouble putting on the new shoes for the rear drums it wasn't even funny. to sum it up, the wheel cylinder (right term?) somehow busted one side of it out and spwed brake fluid everywhere. cleaned it up, rebuilt/fixed the cylinder, and put everything back together. but now there's no braking power in the back. i adjusted the starwheel various times, but no go. i can't see any leaks or evidence of any thereof. i did bleed only that wheel. i only d/c'd that brake line at the drum backing, and loosend the next nut above it so i would swing it outa the way to remove the wheel cylinder. afterwards i bleed it. but the pedal still travels like 3/4 down before i feel adequate braking, which feels almost like only disc brakes.

any ideas?


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

you try the correct forum first???????


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## MShorten (Jul 19, 2004)

Solidox2k said:


> i did bleed only that wheel. i only d/c'd that brake line at the drum backing, and loosend the next nut above it so i would swing it outa the way to remove the wheel cylinder. afterwards i bleed it. but the pedal still travels like 3/4 down before i feel adequate braking, which feels almost like only disc brakes.


Bleed your entire system. Make sure all of the springs are attached to your shoes.

Regards,
Michael, #109


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## Solidox2k (Jan 21, 2004)

chimmike said:


> you try the correct forum first???????


d'oh. sorry, didn't realize there was a section for brakes (always only saw 'suspension', never noticed '& Brakes'. dont ask how :-/ ). i'll post in there if i have any more q's.

thanx MShorten, i'll dbl check that.


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## Hydrolock (Feb 18, 2005)

Solidox2k said:


> I'm having a problem with my rear shoes...it's almost like they do not have enough pressure/force to help slow down the car. i've been driving (lightly) on mostly the disc brakes.
> 
> i changed the brakes, the front was a peice o' cake. however, i had so much trouble putting on the new shoes for the rear drums it wasn't even funny. to sum it up, the wheel cylinder (right term?) somehow busted one side of it out and spwed brake fluid everywhere. cleaned it up, rebuilt/fixed the cylinder, and put everything back together. but now there's no braking power in the back. i adjusted the starwheel various times, but no go. i can't see any leaks or evidence of any thereof. i did bleed only that wheel. i only d/c'd that brake line at the drum backing, and loosend the next nut above it so i would swing it outa the way to remove the wheel cylinder. afterwards i bleed it. but the pedal still travels like 3/4 down before i feel adequate braking, which feels almost like only disc brakes.
> 
> any ideas?


OK. So you blew out your wheel cylinder becasue you stepped on the brakes without the drums on. You might want to buy a new wheel cylinder. Put some anti-seize on the support pads on the backing plate. Adjust you star wheel adjuster until you can put the drum on and there is a slight drag, back it off a little bit and put the drum on. Go inside the car and pum the e-brake a bunch of times. This will use the self-adjusment mechanism to properly adjust the shoes to the proper clearence (if you have duoservo brakes, the self adjusment is done by braking in reverse.) Bleed your entire system next, start with the wheel farthest from the master cylinder and go closer after that. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE BRAKE FLUID IN THE RESOVOIR. If you drive your car and you still have a low pedal. You may have a brake leak somewhere. INspect the entire system, while a buddy steps on the brakes, and look for any leaks on the application and release of the brakes (make sure the drums are on, you don't want to buy another wheel cylinder. After all that and you still have no pedal, you may have a problem in your master cylinder with a blocked port or bad seal, only other thing would be a bad brake valve.


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