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Can't get rear drums back on after brake rebuild.

10K views 22 replies 12 participants last post by  jwhite_00 
#1 ·
I just finishing overhauling the brakes on my D44 rear end. I put in new wheel cylinders and a hardware kit from Napa. I also cleaned/painted everything else. Now I can't get the drums back on.

I had to use an exploded parts diagram to assemble everything as all the bits were in a big parts box when I got the axle so I'm not absolutely sure I have everything re-assembled correctly. :confused:

The adjuster is completely slack but I still can't seem to get the shoes to retract enough to get the drums on. Even if I could force the drums on I doubt the vehicle would move without roasting the rear brakes!

Can anyone think of a common problem or mistake I may have made? Any suggestions? Thanks! :thumbsup:
 
#4 ·
Dana 44 passengers side rear brakes:


If the adjuster is all the way in and the pistons are not pushed out, sometimes you just have to grab the pads with both hands and squeeze them together. Sometimes the pads will get caught on a ridge on the backing plate. You need to pull them away from the ridge and squeeze them together.
 
#5 ·
Maybe it is just the picture but those shoes look like they are too large for that backing plate. It looks like there is more space between the top of the shoe and the edge of the backing plate than there is at the sides and bottom. So do you have 11" shoes on a 10" backing plate?

The shoes are touching the pin at the top which holds the tension springs so they are seated in the right place.
The left shoe looks like it might be down in the low part of the backing plate instead of up on the ridge like the last guy mentioned.
 
#6 ·
^^^ Foggy, that picture is off of my Jeep D44 with 11" brakes and the drum fits over them perfectly. I was just giving him a picture for reference. When I couldn't get my drum on one side I just had to pull them away from the backing plate and squeeze them together. They kind of popped into place and the drum slid over loosely. I need to get my wheels on before I can adjust them.
 
#7 ·
Hope you greased (I use never-seize) the backing plates where the shoes rub. Ask me how I know this is important. (Coiz - I don't see any on your brakes' moving parts)
 
#10 ·
Thanks for all the advice guys. The axle isn't installed under the jeep therefore the e-brake isn't installed. I pulled on the loose cable to try and work anything loose that might be hanging up but to no avail.

All I have lubed is the adjuster internals and the pivot points for the shoes.

I'll try pulling them away from the backing plate to see if it's hung up somewhere. Thanks again.
 
#12 ·
You switched the brake pads around. One of the left ones is on the right or something like that. I did the same and that was exaclty what happened. I mean i could be wrong and i hope i am not insulting you but they are very esay to switch and unnoticable. But it will make it literaly impossible to put on the drum.
 
#13 ·
Well thanks again for the help guys, I think I found the issue(s).

After studying Coiz's photo, I noticed I had the adjuster return/tension spring in the wrong hole on the shoe. The lack of tension was preventing the bottom of the shoes from pulling together regardless the star-adjuster setting. Once I had the proper tension there, it became apparent that the adjuster was extended too far to allow the shoes to retract enough and thereby allow the drum to slde on. So I rotated the adjustment in (a lot) while pulling the shoes away from the backing plate and applying a little pressure (would have been nice to have a third hand for this operation). Drum slid right on after that.

Mcurcio, I can't see any difference between Left and Right shoes. They seem to be reversable. Oh, no offense taken either! I'm embarrased to even be asking as I have done a lot of brakes and never had this kind of trouble. I'm usually the one that takes everything apart though.

So I think I'm all set now...another step closer to getting this axle under the Jeep! Thanks again to all that offered their help.
 
#14 ·
Glad you got it sorted out.

There is not a difference between left and right side shoes but there is a difference between the front and back shoe on each side. The rear facing shoe should always have more friction material than the front facing shoe. Notice where the friction material ends at the bottom of each shoe in my picture above.
 
#15 ·
Yeah, I was told earlier that the 'bigger' shoe went on the back and that was pretty clear on the diagram. That seems kinda counter-intuitive to me though as one would think the majority of the braking force would be on the front side of the drum. Like having disc brakes in the front of the vehicle? Probably a lot more involved than that. Thanks again for the photo.
 
#16 · (Edited)
That seems kinda counter-intuitive to me though as one would think the majority of the braking force would be on the front side of the drum.
Yeah, I always thought it was kind of backwards too.

If you think about it, the piston pushes out force at the top of both shoes. On the brakes in the picture above, the wheel would be spinning clockwise. As the brake drum grips on the forward(right) shoe, the shoe gets pulled down and transfers it's rotational force into the bottom of the rear shoe through the star adjuster. So now the rear shoe has applied force at the top via the piston and at the bottom via the forward shoe. Therefore the rear shoe takes more of the force and requires the additional friction material.

That is why the shoes are different and the one with more material always goes toward the rear.
 
#17 ·
I knew it had to be more involved than what it looked like! I've heard that they put the bigger shoe on the front in Australia. You know, like flushing the toilettes... ;-)
 
#18 ·
Just a heads up for you, but there is a left and right adjuster also. If you get them on reversed, the brakes slack off pretty fast and the pedal height drops low. I had a friend fiddle with my parts once and mix them on me after I laid everything out on each side of the vehicle.
 
#19 ·
The "star wheel" on the adjuster needs to contact that flat edge of the auto adjusting piece which has the cable and spring on it. Also, the wheel needs to be in front of the slot in the backing plate so you can reach in with a brake tool and adjust it while the tires are still on the Jeep. Rolling that wheel up with a brake tool through the backing plate slot makes the adjuster expand if they are on the correct sides.
 
#20 ·
Thanks guys; I think I cleared that one up with an earlier post. I had wondered if 'R' and 'L' on the adjusters corresponded with 'passenger' and 'driver'.

Also odd is that I have two adjuster slots on each backing plate. I've never seen that before.
 
#22 ·
That's good advice neek. Unfortunately when everything comes all mixed up in a big box you don't get that option! Ha, ha. I could have torn into my existing AMC 20 as apparently all the parts are identical but I'm out of jacks and jack stands with the axle swap currently taking everything over in the garage!
 
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