# How can I increase the gap between the drum (rotor) and the shoes for a drum brake?



## Zhu (Jun 23, 2005)

My car is Altima 1995, manual stick. I heard the noise from the rear drum brake. I took of the weels. When the parking brake is released, I rotated the drum, and I found that the shoes touched the drum to make the noise. I rotated the star weel of the brake adjuster to increas the gap between the shoes and the drum. With the adjusting, let the shoes do not touch the drum. But after I drive few days, the gap was reduced again. I think maybe at the same time I should adjust the drum brake ajuster and the parking brake. Is any body know how to increase the gap between the shoes and the drum?

Zhu


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## gfriedman (Oct 12, 2005)

The shoes adjust automagically. Cant touch that


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

You actually want the drum and shoe to have as small of gap as possible or else the resulting "slap" that occurs when you step on the brake will cause the rear to lock briefly in a panic stop thus loosing control of the rear. I would pull the rear drum clean it out with brake clean, have the drum turned if there is any brake pulsation from the rear, reinstall it, turn the adjuster to where the drum and shoe have slight contact or drag when you turn it and torque the wheel to 72-87 ft/lb. 

Troy


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## Zhu (Jun 23, 2005)

KA24Tech said:


> You actually want the drum and shoe to have as small of gap as possible or else the resulting "slap" that occurs when you step on the brake will cause the rear to lock briefly in a panic stop thus loosing control of the rear. I would pull the rear drum clean it out with brake clean, have the drum turned if there is any brake pulsation from the rear, reinstall it, turn the adjuster to where the drum and shoe have slight contact or drag when you turn it and torque the wheel to 72-87 ft/lb.
> 
> Troy


KA24Tech,
Maybe I did not explain my brake ploblem clear.
When I drive my car, I heard noise came from my rear brake. I took off the rear weels and released the parking brake. When I rotate the drum, I found the drum was hard to rotate because the gap between the drum and the shoes is too small. The drum touched the shoes too much. I had ajusted the ajuster of the drum brake to increase the gap between the shoes and the drum, and the drum can been rotated smoothly. The drum did not touch the shoes. After that, I drive my car without noise.
Few days later, the noise became biger and biger. I took of the weels. When I rotated the drum, the drum was hard to rotate the same as before. The gap between the drum and the shoes was reduced again. 

The shoe automatical adjustment reduced the gap between the drum and the shoes. It looks like that the shoe automatical adjustment set the gap too small, and the drum touched the shoes too much. How can I make the shoe automatical adjustment set the gap little greater then mow?


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## KA24Tech (Feb 2, 2004)

Try doing the processes I mentioned above and check the shoes for wear at that time. If you are having a hard time removing the drums then back the adjusters off a couple of turns because a lip tends to develop on the inside.

Troy


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## Zhu (Jun 23, 2005)

KA24Tech said:


> Try doing the processes I mentioned above and check the shoes for wear at that time. If you are having a hard time removing the drums then back the adjusters off a couple of turns because a lip tends to develop on the inside.
> 
> Troy


Troy,

I will do what you said.

Thanks for your helping,


Zhu


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## Zhu (Jun 23, 2005)

gfriedman said:


> The shoes adjust automagically. Cant touch that


gfriedman,
"The shoes adjust automatically." is right. Why on my car, the shoe automatical adjustment adjusts the shoes to touch the drum too much? That meeas the gap between the shoes and the drum is too small.

Zhu


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