coldy13

I can't seem to figure out how to put the rear drum brakes back together on my '85 GS. I had them back together how I thought they should be, but they kept going out of adjustment, so they obviously wern't right. I really need someone to take a couple close ups of their rear drums so I can see exactly how the springs are in there.

Thanks in advance,
Matt

The_7

i dont have photos but i know exactly how the stuff goes so tell me where you put the springs and stuff

coldy13

The spring in my hand is the one I'm confused about. I know it is what keeps the brakes in adjustment, but I don't know how. Those springs broke off on both sides when I was driving the car, so I never got to see the drums put together right.

MarkPerez

Thats the spring for the adjuster, that looks to be missing. The adjuster has a rivited arm that rides against the sloted cylinder right behind the center spring. looking at your picture the 2 pins that hold each shoe look new as does the springs, so why do the shoes look like crap. You've rebuild the brakes before,,,
right ?? Make sure you don't breath the dust from ANY part of the drum assembly's,,,,cool ? a spring tool from napa works wonders.

coldy13

The shoes look like **** because I didn't replace them, they still have plenty of pad left, I just replaced the springs. I know the adjustment lever you're talking about, it's pictured in the factory service manual, but there never was one on my car.....****.

MarkPerez

Your gonna need'em. can you go to a junkyard ??
thats what i do. before i get into something i've never done, i use the junkyards cars... to remove a part,, and to find out what it takes to remove it, before, that way i don't **** my car up learning to do it. after i destroy the doner car learning 'how'... makes learning better,,because it only cost me 1 dollor to get in the junkyard. you need those adjuster arms for the brakes to work right. get those,then get back to us. cool ?

The_7

yea you should get the adjuster arm from a junk yard but in the mean time you can manually adjust them using a screwdriver. i hate drum brakes, i cant wait to do the SE rear end swap on my 7.

coldy13

I've been manually adjusting them, and it sucks. My car wont be running for a couple weeks so I have some time to get to a junkyard and get some adjuster arms. Thanks for the help

MyRxBad

Next time, do one outta time and use the other for reference.... :shrug: