11" Drum Adjustment

So I feel as if I'm becoming an expert in brakes. I just did the 11" brake conversion. I have them all hooked up but when I was bleeding the brakes I couldn't get a hard pedal. I must have done it twice around and still nothing. My question is the sequence in which you adjust the brakes.

Do I: 1. bleed all the air out of the brakes. 2. Make "mechanical" adjustment to each wheel with the star wheel, starting with the wheel with the shortest brake line (don't know where I read that).

I have a feeling the brake shoes need to travel too far in order to make contact with the drum. When you press the brake, the brakes engage ... but I can turn the wheel with just a little bit of force.

Does anyone know how "hard" to adjust the star wheel and the best technique to do the adjustment?

I was so excited to get 11" drums all around, but still can't seem to "lock up" the wheels.

 

I,ve always adjusted them until they just start to rub on the drum, pump em a few times while you are doing it and turn them by hand they should stop the wheel from turning freely but not be "set" , then bleed them again. make sure you dont run out of fluid in the mc

 

adjust first, spinning the tire untill you have a little drag, do all 4 wheels, then bleed the brakes, did you replace the MC? this sounds exactly like what was going on before IIRC.

 

I did replace the master c. ... So I know it's not that ...(unless I got a bad reconditioned one from advance auto) ....

 

I use a caliper to set the shoes to the drum diameter.
http://www.mytoolstore.com/kd/kdbrak09.html#3377

This makes the adjustment close enough so that you can bleed the brakes and get a hard pedal. You could also adjust the brakes through the backing plate to get them close, but that's more work.

Once everything is together, you drive slowly in reverse and jam on the brakes a few times, and the self-adjusters will even out the adjustment.

 

So I guess what I need to do is ... Have one person setting the star wheel and the other person pumping the brakes ... I guess im confused at what that does. If I keep doing that will it adjust the height of the brake pedal, so I don't have to push that far down until the shoes engage with the drum? Once I've done this to all the tires, then I bleed? So ideally in the end, if I turn each wheel by hand I can hear slightly the shoes on the drum... Thanks for helping out .... I always get this far and then I can never get a hard pedal ...

 

Where can I get that caliper? Will my FLAPS have it?

 

dont know how to word it any simpler

 

you only need a helper when bleeding them, adjust the star untill the brake shoes just start rubbing then pump the brake a couple of times to make sure all the mechaincal pieces inside have all moved around from the adjustment then turn the wheel with your hand to see if the shoes are still rubbing the same amount. try to spin it pretty hard, should not make much more than one revolution, do this to all four wheels getting them alll the same. then have your helper pump the brake pedel couple of times & hold itdown while you bleed each brake tighten up the bleeder then pump and hold again untill all air is out do this four all four wheels making sure you dont run out of fluid in the MC

 

Thanks guys ... I think I got it now ... I'll try it out today

 

@timgr... Just out of curiosity ... What is the measurement you use for the "outside" diameter of the shoes and the "inside" diameter of the drums ... With the caliper

 

Make sure the rod that goes into your master cylinder is adjusted properly. If it is not you wil never get a firm pedal.

 

Make sure the rod going into the master cylinder is adjusted properly. If not you will never get a firm pedal.

 

@shadow ... How do you adjust the rod? You mean to make sure it's long enough so it will have enough travel?

 

The caliper transfers the inside diameter of the drum to the outside diameter of the shoes. The picture shows how it is used.

You can get this tool at many places, including at the link I posted. Any place that sells KD tools can get it, including parts stores.

 

Just a side bar......in case you have not done it. Make sure you bleed out the new MC before you attempt to bleed out the brake lines or you may be chasing your tail for quite some time. I know people who have attempted to bleed their brakes for DAYS....only to find out they did not do the MC first.

 

First make sure that when the brake pedal is released that the piston in the MC comes all the way back to the ring that keeps it from coming out. The rod should now be almost touching it with a little room for slop. I would next disconnect the brake lines at the MC and remove the rod. Place a screwdriver in the MC and push forward to get a measurement on how far the piston needs to go forward until it stops. Adjust the rod so it goes all the way in and when released the piston in the MC comes all the way back to the stop. Don't count on the fact that it was adjusted correctly by the previous owner or the factory.

 

Where did you find your 11" backing plates?

 

Thanks guys for all the help ... I'll let you know how it works out ... I bought the whole kit ($600) from r&p ... It was worth just getting everthing brand new ...