What is a symptom of drum brakes being out of adjustment?
Symptoms include: poor parking brake operation, when the handle or pedal travel is excessive without adequate function; a low brake pedal that must be depressed farther than usual; or mild pulling to one side during stops.
How do I know if my drum brakes are working?
Dec. 07, 2016
- Inconsistent brake pedal feel. If the rear brakes are drum brakes, the driver may feel vibrations under braking.
- Hand brake feels loose. If the hand brake requires a hard yank to keep the car from rolling off, chances are the brake shoes need replacing.
- Scraping noise while braking.
What is used to adjust brake shoes before installing the drum?
Tech A says that a brake spoon is used to adjust brake shoes when the drum is installed.
Are there left and right slack adjusters?
There are two automatic slack adjuster designs: HANDED and UNHANDED. For most applications, install a handed automatic slack adjuster so that the pawl faces INBOARD on the vehicle. The pawl can be on either side or on the front of the slack adjuster housing.
How do I know if my slack adjusters are bad?
That’s fairly easy to check, with no brake pressure put a pry bar on the slack adjuster. If there’s any significant movement up down or back and forth (some in and out is fine) then everything needs to come apart.
How do you check automatic slack adjusters?
Automatic Slack Adjuster Maintenance and Inspection
- Check for proper lubrication of the brake camshaft and cam tube.
- Inspect the cam head and rollers for abnormal wear.
- Evaluate the brake’s friction blocks for wear level and cracks, replacing the friction if necessary.
How do you loosen automatic slack adjusters?
Locate the adjusting mechanism on the slack adjuster. It usually takes a 9/16 wrench to turn it. Tighten it all the way; you should see the S-cams move and the brake shoes tighten against the drum. Then, loosen it 1/2 turn and you should be good.