Star wheel adjusters for rear drums

mine keep falling out.. in the last two months, ive replaced the shoes, adjuster hardware on each side 3 times, because the little bracket that serves as the rachet assembly keeps falling out, in turn letting loose that spring, wheel adjuster and adjuster end cap to destroy my shoes.

I've been driving for 3 weeks without them, do I relaly need them?

please no 'chuck the d35 or go disc replies, I don't offroad, I just drive, so the d35 serves me well.

Thats is the auto adjuster for you parking brake you might need it.

Cole

have you replaced the springs to? u mite have a broken/worn outone.

edit, by adjusterhardware u mean the springs right? when you replace the shoes, are you making it so the drum barly comes off the shoe right?

explains why my ebrake rarely works eh cole?

problem is, its all brand new hardware.

like.. maybe a week or two old when they fly apart, new springs, clips, adjusters, shoes, whole works.

I'm not slamming on the brakes hard, and when I adjust them before I stick the drum back on, its barely sliding on, nice and tight.

take the stoppers out of the rear of the backing plates and adjust them with a screw driver.

Either you were given the wrong parts or you put them together wrong.

Is it possible you put the adjusters on the wrong way, so that the self-adjuster is loosening them rather than tightening them?

The only thing I can think of is something wrong with the backing plate or Incorect install but I think you know what your doing you might need to have a Pro do it and if it brakes again then they should cover it???? I don't have any other clues to it other than something off with the backing plate which is the only thing you have changed. Or the adjuster is spinning the wrong way and loosening everything.

Yeah you might not want to drive it like that cause they will just get softer and softer then the rear want work at all. :oops:

Cole

Is it possible you put the adjusters on the wrong way, so that the self-adjuster is loosening them rather than tightening them?

X2

Make sure they are turning in the correct direction. The knurled-wheel end of the adjuster should be on the "front" side, and as the adjuster plate pushes on the wheel, it screws the adjuster clockwise to expand it.

Jeff

Is it possible you put the adjusters on the wrong way, so that the self-adjuster is loosening them rather than tightening them?

 

X2

 

Make sure they are turning in the correct direction. The knurled-wheel end of the adjuster should be on the "front" side, and as the adjuster plate pushes on the wheel, it screws the adjuster clockwise to expand it.

 

Jeff

uh.oh....

Ive always installed them with the (on the pass side) steel wire running from the centre post around the clip on the rear shoe to the rachet clip, which is in the rear shoe, and the knurled wheel is closest to the rear shoe, not the front one...

is that the wrong way?

I'm going from (fuzzy) memory, but now that I think about it more, they should be on the back side, like you have them :oops: The wire does go around the clip on the rear shoe, then down and hooks onto the clip.

There is a tiny, wavy washer that fits onto the adjuster (where the two pieces slide together) that's easy to loose...do you have those on both of them? Not sure what they're called, but I assume they are there to prevent the adjuster from moving without being bumped by the adjusting clip. :dunno: (they're like a spring-washer)

I'm going from (fuzzy) memory, but now that I think about it more, they should be on the back side, like you have them :oops: The wire does go around the clip on the rear shoe, then down and hooks onto the clip.

 

There is a tiny, wavy washer that fits onto the adjuster (where the two pieces slide together) that's easy to loose...do you have those on both of them? Not sure what they're called, but I assume they are there to prevent the adjuster from moving without being bumped by the adjusting clip. :dunno: (they're like a spring-washer)

no wavy washer..

maybe thats whats missing?

Remember that the brakes are mirror image. Those adjusters spin in opposite directions -- one is a left-hand thread, the other's a right hand thread. If you weren't paying attention and put them on the wrong sides, the self-adjusting action will be loosening them rather than tightening them.

To get back to the original question -- you can't drive without star wheels, but you can certainly leave out the self adjusting cable and doohickie. Cars had drum brakes for about 50 years (or more) before Detroit started making them self adjusting. I don't recall just when that began, some time in the 70s IIRC. Dunno how many cars I went through that didn't have self-adjusting brakes before they finally arrived. They work worth patooties anyway, so it's not a great loss if you ditch 'em. Just remember to check your brake adjustment as part of each oil change.

Got a photo of how you have your brakes set up now? Can you just pop a drum off over the weekend and get a decent photo of one side?

Remember that the brakes are mirror image. Those adjusters spin in opposite directions -- one is a left-hand thread, the other's a right hand thread. If you weren't paying attention and put them on the wrong sides, the self-adjusting action will be loosening them rather than tightening them.

 

To get back to the original question -- you can't drive without star wheels, but you can certainly leave out the self adjusting cable and doohickie. Cars had drum brakes for about 50 years (or more) before Detroit started making them self adjusting. I don't recall just when that began, some time in the 70s IIRC. Dunno how many cars I went through that didn't have self-adjusting brakes before they finally arrived. They work worth patooties anyway, so it's not a great loss if you ditch 'em. Just remember to check your brake adjustment as part of each oil change.

 

Got a photo of how you have your brakes set up now? Can you just pop a drum off over the weekend and get a decent photo of one side?

no can do eagle. Ive already lost all the parts and my driveways frozen to the point I can't safely pop the tires off. On the 8th of Jan I'm going to purchase a new set of adjusters and everything, as the star wheels are toast. all worn off. my brakes are fine *knock on wood* for the moment.

Every second year we have to take the cars in for control, prior to the control I always remove the drums, clean everything, rub the bands (shoes) and adjust the brakes manually.

So fare both my D44 drums MJ/YJ and D35 on the XJ have perform good.

no can do eagle. Ive already lost all the parts and my driveways frozen to the point I can't safely pop the tires off. On the 8th of Jan I'm going to purchase a new set of adjusters and everything, as the star wheels are toast. all worn off. my brakes are fine *knock on wood* for the moment.

Rob, what you're saying is flat out impossible. The brakes cannot function without those starwheel spreaders in there to keep the lower ends of the shoes apart. If they aren't in there, you may be driving around but, if so, you're only using the front brakes.

Here's a pic of how they should go together:

ah.. well. I guess Ive got some work to do tomorrow :)

did a new hardware kit on each wheel today, but before I did, I looked to find what was wrong.

I had 2 primary springs on one side, and two secondaries on the other.

put the right springs in, and this time the little cable routing guide is solid in there, not barely hanging on. Ive got goood brakes now.

Ah, so, Grasshopper.

The proverbial RTFM Error.