mine where also pretty tight when i changed mine but when you put the wheel and tire back on it will spin a little bit easier.

 

oh yea i used a rubber mallet to help persuade mine on. i did not really have to beat it on just a couple love tops.

 

if you need a hammer to get them to go on then there is something wrong.......double check triple check....do whatever you need to do to find the problem.....trust me...there is a problem. Think about when they assemble the brakes at the factories......how would they get new shoes and new drums on if they didn't fit realatively easy. there is a cross brace between the 2 shoes (its about 5-6 inches long) ALOT of people make the mistake of putting it inside backwards or in reverse

p.s......you have checked to make sure the parking brake is NOT on correct???

p.p.s. this is why you will find most mechanics that do drum brakes will complete one side 100% before moving to the other side.....that way they can remove the other drum and see if they have mistakedly goofed

 

I agree with Jackle...make sure that cross brace is in the right way. It will fit both ways but will only work one way.

Also, some of the shoes for these things have a "slit" down the middle of them to aid in cooling. If you have these and you look at the inside of the drum, there will be a nice groove worn in the drum. You're going to want to replace the drums if thats the case. It also might be whats causing the drums to not fit on right. Its always a good idea to replace the drums and shoes at the same time.

 

Mike, there was a groove down the original shoes but not the new ones. I'm also pretty sure I got the cross brace in correctly. I've only done the driver's side so far. I'm going to pull it in the morning and double check the assembly and make sure it's right before I start on the other side. I'm also thinking of getting new drums since Autozone is less than a mile away.

...and the parking brake wasn't on.

 

can I make a suggestion to anyone working on something they are unfamiliar with, or a time consuming project take down/rebuild and or vacuum lines?

Get your digital camera out and snap photo's until you are tired of taking pics. Get every angle, every bolt, spring placement, brake size (front vs. rear), route of cables and wires, ect ect ect. You can't go wrong with a bunch of photos of your own stuff when trying reassemble something.

Trust me, it's a heck of a lot easier looking at pictures of what YOU had prior to disassembly.

 

Did you possibly install two rear shoes together? The lining on the rear shoe is longer than the front shoe. Two rear shoes together will be too tight; two front shoes together will be too loose to adjust.

Example:
http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=RAY&MfrPartNumber=538RP&PartType=220&PTSet=A

 

Did you possibly install two rear shoes together? The lining on the rear shoe is longer than the front shoe. Two rear shoes together will be too tight; two front shoes together will be too loose to adjust.

Example:

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=RAY&MfrPartNumber=538RP&PartType=220&PTSet=A

I got my shoes from Autozone. I just checked 'em out and I'll be darned if all 4 don't look identical. I checked the old ones and they look identical too. Can someone confirm whether there are front and rear shoes or all they all the same?

i would just replace the drums. I know my jeep is do for a brake overhaul and needs new rotors drums and pads......it should be a fun job..but im going to hold off untill its at least 60 outside...

No joke...it was sunny and 55 her yesterday...now it's raining/snowing. What I wouldn't do for a garage!!! Off to Autozone for new drums to stimulate the economy!

 

My drums had a buildup of crud on the drums where the groove in the original shoes was, not much but enough to cause issues.

Check carefully to be sure the surface is flat and clean, it don't take much to cause a drag.

 

The very first thing to do before replacing rear brakes is o loosen the parking brake cable almost all the way. This is required and may or may not be mentioned in a Haynes manual, I don't know. If you didn't do this important first step then that is the problem. You will have to readjust the parking brake after you finish the rear brakes and BEFORE you test drive.

 

If you are replacing the pads then getting new drums would be a good idea. I know that you can go alot longer mileage wise since there is less force applied. So reusing them would be ok. You can have them turned. Whereever you take them they can check thickness and out-of-round. It will get them smooth again. New ones are around 35 to 45 dollars.

 

i would just replace the drums. I know my jeep is do for a brake overhaul and needs new rotors drums and pads......it should be a fun job..but im going to hold off untill its at least 60 outside...

 

Did you go and loosen the parking brake cable like I suggested this morning? I'll bet $$$ that's the problem.

Buying new drums will NOT fix the tightness, in fact they will be even tighter since they would be new.

 

i just did my brakes the other day. new shoes, hardware, and drums. the one thing that frustrated me most was the park brake strut. it kept falling out of place and wouldnt allow the brake shoes to come together enough for much else to fit.

also, dont use a haynes manual. im willing to bet that it doesnt have anything specific to your year of TJ. those manuals are far too vague and use generalized info. theyre ok for simple stuff like oil changes but not for anything remotely complex like your brakes.

the brake shoe that goes towards the back of the axle is the one with the little brass-colored pin for the adjustment lever. dont look at how much brake material is on them. how much material dowsnt really mean anything. the one with the pin should be in the back, and put the little spring on there before you put the shoe on. just makes it a little easier. if you could post a pic of your assembled brakes im sure i could help you. pics behind the axle flange of all the springs and everything would be great. since i just did this 2 days ago its all still really fresh and id be more than happy to help.

 

dont look at how much brake material is on them. how much material dowsnt really mean anything.

On a lot of applications, it is the only thing with meaning!!!

 

heres a pic from my FSM. note the location of the hardware.

 

enough of this pissing contest. you havent provided much useful info and you keep pressing the issue of the brake material. the shoes will come with the necessary pin on them no matter where you buy them from.

unsubscribed.

OP if you want anymore help from me you can PM me.

 

...you havent provided much useful info and you keep pressing the issue of the brake material.

The length of the lining is sometimes the only difference between the primary and secondary shoes.

the shoes will come with the necessary pin on them no matter where you buy them from.

That is factually incorrect.

 

I bought my pads from NAPA and they DIDN'T have the pins in them! I WENT by the lining on the front and back pad to know which one goes where! If all of the pads are the exact same then they were packed wrong. You should have two with shorter linings and two with longer linings. You also do not have to adjust the parking break cable to get the drums off. That is only if you replace the cable.

 

Tangofox has it. I stupidly put 2 rear facing shoes on the drivers side. I was concentrating on the physical metal part of the shoe, which is identical, instead of the friction material - now that I know what to look for it's obvious - thanks! I also loosened my e brake cable which made things a little easier. It's also worth mentioning on the 2003 rear brakes there are slight variations compared with my 2001. The brake rebuild kit came with many parts that I didn't need that are used on earlier and later models. I didn't get springs for the parking brake strut but mine were in the good shape. 4x4xplor used a C-clamp to press the pins but I didn't have any luck so I used a bench vise instead - worked like a charm. I just got through buttoning everything up. I ended up getting new drums too.

I REALLY appreciate this board and all who contribute!:cheers2:

wrenching in sub 45 WINDY weather blows! :thumbdown:

 

Rear Brake Drum Overheating

Had this same problem. Ended up grinding about 1/4" off the end of the cross brace. Problem fixed.

 

Son of a @&$()^%!#!!!
You guys are right. Pads sizes are different. I got shoes from O'Reilly's. They DID NOT have the peg in them, and they are different sizes.

Thanks again guys!