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4 Wheel Power Drum Brakes - Great, Now Suck

matthon

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Ok, the wagon is named George, and he has been fighting me tooth and nail.

All brake parts brand new last year, everything, lines, hoses, cables, hardware, proper pad grease, you name it, Booster Dewey rebuild, dual master cylinder added. I even put in new wheel studs on all 4 corners, front bearings, new tires, etc.

When I got my booster back, I called and asked what to expect as far as braking, anything I should know, etc.

He suggested drive it, adjust brakes, then adjust later if needed. Which I did and it stopped beautifully.
Pedal was not low, but not high, not a huge amount of travel but would stop damn quick if needed, and with a twist of my heal from the gas to the brake. I actually was wearing a spot in the floormat.

This past weekend it seemed a little less easy, was lifting my foot off the floor.
So I made a few minor adjustments.
On a jack, tires spun about a revolution and stop.

Yesterday it was very hard to push the pedal, and it was low. When I got to work I felt the drums and all but the left front were hot, too hot to hold your finger on it.

When I got home I pulled each wheel and backed off on 3.
Now it's even harder to stop, and just the rears are hot.

At about 600 rpms in drive, let off brake and it will easily roll forward.
The e-brake works and releases.
Plenty of vacuum and no obstructions in the hose.
No air in lines, fluid topped off, no leaks.
No unusual wear or contaminates on drums or pads.
I reversed and stopped a few times, no change.
Car will stop, but eventually, not good.

I'm familiar with drum brakes, I've either screwed something up or something is wrong.

With normal driving, how hot do drums get?

It was great, now bad, very bad.

20190404_110909.jpg
 
Lifting your foot off the floor and hard pedal sounds like the booster acting up. Or the valve at the boosters hose connection.
 
I've noticed they get hot pretty quick in this big car. I just replaced everything as well: new stainless lines, dual mc, dewey built booster, wheel cylinders, dot 5.

There were squeaking pretty bad the first day or so driving but I've kept adjusting and its seems to have gone away... I have the automatic adjusters but they didn't seem to be working initially.

It stops quickly now, but there were a couple moments when trying to brake after a long hill and lots of braking. I think I was experiencing brake fade because they got hot (I could even smell it a bit) and my braking power got worse. I was pumping them too. But it wouldn't be helped.

I think once the shoes break in more and my self adjusters start kicking on it will be better.
 
Lifting your foot off the floor and hard pedal sounds like the booster acting up. Or the valve at the boosters hose connection.

I was thinking that, dammit, just rebuilt.
I'll give them a call.
 
I'd be kinda surprised if they messed something up with the booster rebuild, but let me know, lol! They just did mine so I hope not.
 
Just spoke to him, he said what I'm describing is a booster failure.
I drove it in a parking lot with and without the booster hooked up, and he said send it back.

We didn't discuss the valve, I completely forgot to ask.

When I pull it off, still on the hose end, it's sucking like crazy.
 
For the record:

I bought new motor mounts, reason for vibration that drove me crazy, new motor mounts.

I bought a new alternator on Saturday, reason for battery draining and no start for 5 days, new alternator.

I had a booster rebuilt, reason for brake failure, new booster.

And, on another car, my in tank pump died, they sent me a new one, reason for no fuel pressure, new fuel pump.
 
Just spoke to him, he said what I'm describing is a booster failure.
I drove it in a parking lot with and without the booster hooked up, and he said send it back.

We didn't discuss the valve, I completely forgot to ask.

When I pull it off, still on the hose end, it's sucking like crazy.
I wonder why it failed so quick. They must of done something wrong. That kinda worries me tbh, since they just rebuilt the exact same style for me.

I'll have faith, but I guess if I have problems with my brakes I'll know where to check first.
 
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keep in mind, that when you use these new friction material brake shoes -- which is all you can buy from the "regular world' -- you open yourself up to
problems right from the start... they HEAT UP immeasurably as they grip and grab and rip and shred as they attempt to stop....
++ N.O.S. ++ Asbestos ++ is the nicest, smoooooothest braking system known to mankind -- and that is why I hunt it down all the time.....
I have ++ N.O.S. ++ Asbestos ++ for small block (10") and big block (11") For Fronts & Rears -- at this moment in time.....
 
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Booster Dewey has a great reputation, he basically demanded I send it back, and apologized that I wouldn't be able to drive my Fury for a while.

The downtime sucks, r&r sucks, packing, shipping, but there was zero pushback.

With all my whining above, I was able to get excellent service in the end, sometimes I had to work for it though.

I was thinking, next time I buy something new for this wagon, walk out, walk back in and return it.
 
Nice wagon. He did my Bendix dual for my Charger, no issues. Stellar reputation. Best of luck, I'm sure it will work out.
 
While it is down, check the friction material for glazing, resin bleeding. As said above the original friction materials used back when the car was new are no longer manufactured and you must search for old stuff. ASBESTOS use a mask.
 
As indicated above, I have ++ N.O.S. ++ Asbestos ++
Which intelligent people beg me to find!!!!
I will even send them to California, despite the fact that some of you hillaryclintonliberals cry about the environmental effects of ++ Asbestos ++ .....
That's right -- use a mask when you install -- and
Allow your car to BRAKE nice and smooooooth.
Yours, Craig
 
As indicated above, I have ++ N.O.S. ++ Asbestos ++
Which intelligent people beg me to find!!!!
I will even send them to California, despite the fact that some of you hillaryclintonliberals cry about the environmental effects of ++ Asbestos ++ .....
That's right -- use a mask when you install -- and
Allow your car to BRAKE nice and smooooooth.
Yours, Craig
Ok, I'll bite....
What are you asking for the 11x3 front and 11x2.5 rear shoes?
 
Booster back, no change.
Just sitting running in garage, basically no pedal, to the floor to keep it from moving in gear.
Booster checked out, new check valve, new hose, again on all 3.

Zero leaks, full mc.
 
With the brakes adjusted, parked in the garage idling, shouldn't the pedal at least be up where it used to be?

Even if the shoes and drums are toast, shouldn't it all still work in park, with crap piled on the car because it's been stationary for weeks and another car blocking me in, dammit?!

With the mc off, vacuum hose off, when I put the hose to it I can see the booster move, both the rubber inside, and it's pulling on the firewall just enough to verify it's definitely working.

Hose is sucking vacuum like crazy.

Rod going into mc was probably adjustable at some point, but not by hand at this point.

I took the spacer out and the rod contacts the mc leaving the same distance as the spacer.

I have pics of the booster before I sent it the first time, when I got it back, and when I sent it the second time, with a tape measure on both sides to make sure I got the right booster back, with the correct rods on both sides, the correct lengths.
 
Is the pedal literally touching the floor?

If you can take a measurement of how high it sits from floor/base of firewall I can compare it to mine.

I noticed my pedal went slightly lower after I re-did everything. But it will still come to a screeching halt if I press the pedal hard.

Maybe it's the fact that the new brake shoes are thicker now and as the shoes get worn down the pedal will raise slightly.... for the same reason adjusting them looser or tighter will directly affect the pedal height
 
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