# 2001 Sentra rear brakes adjustment?



## bonestocksentra (Jun 7, 2003)

Here is the story. My rear brakes squeek when I let off of them. I took them off, sprayed them with brake cleaner, still does it. I bought new pads. When I compared the new pads with the old ones, they are the same size, indicating that the brakes on the back are fine. I decided to bleed the brakes. Did that. still do it. The emergency brake works fine, and is tight. I had an old jeep wrangler, and to adjust the rear brakes you removed the dust cover, stuck a screwdriver in there, and turned the "sprocket". Upon inspection, my car does not have the sprocket, so I can't figure out how to adjust them. I have tried all the tricks, back up, tap the brakes, no dice. Back up, pull and release the emergency brakes, no dice. The manual says to pull the emergency brakes while sitting a few times, and it will tighten the brakes, but no dice. I am at wits end, any help?


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

I don't know enough about the 01 Sentra trims so I'm going to ask an incredibly stupid sounding question. Does your car have rear drum or disc brakes?


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## bonestocksentra (Jun 7, 2003)

LOL Not a stupid question at all, I should have been more specific. It is rear drum brakes.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

bonestocksentra said:


> LOL Not a stupid question at all, I should have been more specific. It is rear drum brakes.


That's an interesting predicament. Look inside and see if your drums have an adjuster there at all. I know it sounds crazy, but the only possibilities I can think of are:

1. The adjuster has fallen off and something else is holding up the shoes
2. The sprocket inside the adjuster has worn down so it's pretty much flush with the adjuster
3. The adjuster was built/rebuilt without an adjustment sprocket
4. The adjuster isn't where you're used to it being (unlikely since you do say you have a manual)

As you probably know, if you can get the adjuster out (it comes out when you take the brake shoes off), you can twist (turn) it apart and see where the adjustment sprocket is. Good luck.

BTW, if you want to try the self adjustment feature again, try going in reverse and smoothly engaging/disengaging the brakes. Just tapping them usually does't give the brakes enough time to adjust properly.


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## bonestocksentra (Jun 7, 2003)

First, thanks for the replies, I appreciate it.
This brakes system uses a "lever" type of adjuster I have found out. instead of a sprocket. I can't explain how it looks, so I won't even try. But I have an idea, and will let you guys know if it works.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

bonestocksentra said:


> First, thanks for the replies, I appreciate it.
> This brakes system uses a "lever" type of adjuster I have found out. instead of a sprocket. I can't explain how it looks, so I won't even try. But I have an idea, and will let you guys know if it works.


Hmm. That's interesting. Please do tell us how it goes, because I don't think I've seen enough drum brake systems to know the differences between the sprocket and lever type and the type you just described.


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## bonestocksentra (Jun 7, 2003)

Okay, my idea didn't work. Okay, a sprocket brake assembly is pretty much as simple as a "rod" with a sprocket in the middle. When you take the dust cover off the back, you stick a screwdriver in the hole, and turn the sprocket. If you are turning the sprocket the right way, it pushes out on the rod it attached too, and presses the brake shoes out, forcing them into the drum. Hence, it tightens your brakes. 

Now, the lever is harder to explain. It is a flat piece of metal about 1/2 inch wide, and about 1 inch wide in the middle, from one brake shoe to the other. Say we are looking at the brakes, with the drum off. The left brake shoe, and the right brake shoe. in between them is this metal flat piece, which is basically in two pieces. the left brake shoe, has the left metal piece, it comes to the middle where it meets the right metal piece. The left metal piece has a half "C" shape cut into it on the end, making it rounded, with little gears or teeth on it. The right metal piece is the opposite, a half "c" that is cut into it, making it concave, with matching gears or teeth. both pieces meet here in the middle and fit together. then the right metal piece attaches to the right shoe. What holds the two pieces together is the spring. now, by simply spreading the springs and moving one "gear" out or in, it puts the left metal piece further in or out of the other piece, puts tension on the brakes. I figured out how they work, no problem, with the drum off. now, with the drum on, I can't adjust the darned thing. For those of you totally confused, which I am myself, let me brake the "metal piece" thing like this.
say you have a solid piece of wood,say a 2x4. in the middle of the 2x4, cut it in half at like a 45 degree angle. sorta like this.

________________ ____________________
_______________/ /___________________

now, if you push the two together,they meet perfectly, then push harder, one slides "up" on the other. imagine the brakes are attached to the outside of these pieces, and the tension would be eased. slide them apart, and the tension is increased. Okay, who is confused??!!?!


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

That's interesting. It does sound like a much more cost-effective setup, especially with the fewer number of moving parts.


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## James B` (Aug 11, 2004)

*Their should be a slot on the back of the drum or some thing of that nature, that you*



bonestocksentra said:


> Okay, my idea didn't work. Okay, a sprocket brake assembly is pretty much as simple as a "rod" with a sprocket in the middle. When you take the dust cover off the back, you stick a screwdriver in the hole, and turn the sprocket. If you are turning the sprocket the right way, it pushes out on the rod it attached too, and presses the brake shoes out, forcing them into the drum. Hence, it tightens your brakes.
> 
> Now, the lever is harder to explain. It is a flat piece of metal about 1/2 inch wide, and about 1 inch wide in the middle, from one brake shoe to the other. Say we are looking at the brakes, with the drum off. The left brake shoe, and the right brake shoe. in between them is this metal flat piece, which is basically in two pieces. the left brake shoe, has the left metal piece, it comes to the middle where it meets the right metal piece. The left metal piece has a half "C" shape cut into it on the end, making it rounded, with little gears or teeth on it. The right metal piece is the opposite, a half "c" that is cut into it, making it concave, with matching gears or teeth. both pieces meet here in the middle and fit together. then the right metal piece attaches to the right shoe. What holds the two pieces together is the spring. now, by simply spreading the springs and moving one "gear" out or in, it puts the left metal piece further in or out of the other piece, puts tension on the brakes. I figured out how they work, no problem, with the drum off. now, with the drum on, I can't adjust the darned thing. For those of you totally confused, which I am myself, let me brake the "metal piece" thing like this.
> say you have a solid piece of wood,say a 2x4. in the middle of the 2x4, cut it in half at like a 45 degree angle. sorta like this.
> ...



Their should be a slot on the back of the drum or some thing of that nature, that you can pull a rubber stopper out of to can access to the adjusting mechanism, once you have installed the drum. A falt head screw driver works could for adjusting the mechanism if I remember correctly.


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