rear drum adjustment

[Talkwrench]

I have standard brakes, power disc and drum rear. I take it that the drums are self adjusting on a 74?. Anyone have a few tricks on improving the standard brakes.. Pads, braided lines..? Seems the pedal has no adjustment..
Thanks

[Chryco Psycho]

yes they should self adjust when backing up but if the adjustment is far off you need to ratchet the star wheel out so the drum will just slide on & use a lever tool to adjust it further or back up a few times to tighten them all the way up

[Talkwrench]

Thanks, So if they do need a little adjustment which way do the star wheels turn to tighten on these?

[footin70rt]

Turning the star wheel downward from the backing plate should tighten the shoes up. I would pull the rear wheels and check that the adjusters move freely, they might be stiff where they won't move when backing up.

[Road_Runner]

Thanks, So if they do need a little adjustment which way do the star wheels turn to tighten on these?

When you first put on brake shoes you'll have to adjust the star wheel so the shoes are close but not stuck to the drum.  You don't want them rubbing all the time so I would adjust them so they were not quite snug and you can shimmy the drum off & back on.  I'm not sure if this was for every car but I was taught to back up and romp on my brakes several times to help 'set' the brakes.  This would probably work in either direction as the star wheel should turn when you press the brakes if an adjustment is needed.  If not, you might want to replace all the hardware.  That's what I've done with the Roadrunner, cheap insurance.

Later, Jim

[LAA66]

 Tighter the better as it improves brake response at the pedal.  As long as the drums don't get hot to the touch thru the rim. Have you changed the fluid or bled the system recently?

[burdar]

You have to back up and hit the brakes fairly hard to get the self adjusters to accually work.  If the assemblies havn't been apart in awhile, things might be rusted to the point that they don't work any more.  Remove the drums and make sure the adjusters move freely.  Also, make sure to lube the shoe contact points on the backing plates. 

Reinstall the drums and the wheels.  The rear of the car should be supported with jack stands.  Adjust the shoes while you spin the tires.  You should hear a slight dragging but the tires should still be easy to spin.  The adjuster wheel will only spin easily one way.  The teeth are angled.  One way your screw driver will bite and spin the adjuster.  Try to move it the other way and the screw driver will slip.  Adjusting the rear brakes is very easy as long as everything is free to move and not rusted up.

[Talkwrench]

thanks for the info. I guess the brakes aren't that bad, after all we are talking about a car from 1974..Is what it is.. I must have a good look and make sure its all working well though. Slowly getting around to all parts of the car and learning the MoPar way of things..

Its just people say " wow man great car how does it go?" I would reply " Its like driving a kart with no brakes"

[brads70]

" Its like driving a kart with no brakes"

 I hear that! That's why I did the Viper brake caliper swap and am planning a hydroboost conversion this winter.

[72bluNblu]

The stock disk/drum set up on the e-bodies isn't really that bad, better than a lot of cars from the era, and even later. Sure, its not like having a new car with ABS, but if you feel like you're not stopping well, then something is out of whack. My Challenger with the stock disk/drum set up had no issues locking up all 4 wheels.

I'd pull the drums and take a good look at the shoes, check the hardware, grease anything that doesn't move freely (keep it off the shoes), completely purge all the old brake fluid out of the system and replace it with new fluid, and make sure everything is bled well. Brake fluid does not last forever, and it will absorb water over time. When I bled my brakes the first time, the brake fluid I got out first was a nice shade of dark brown.  Apparently maintenance wasn't big on the previous owners list. Old brake fluid will give you a lousy pedal, rust the lines, and cause brake fade at much lower temperatures than you'd expect.

Also, if there are any seals leaking in the back the shoes could be contaminated with oil or brake fluid, neither will help you stop very well. The disks up front should be pretty easy, but same deal, check the pads for contaminants and see how much life they have left on them. Also possible that an earlier owner went cheap on the pads/shoes, crappy pads and shoes will give you less than stellar braking. You don't necessarily need semi-metallics, but stay away from the econo pads and shoes.

Also keep in mind your tires are a big part of your braking performance. When I went from 225/60/15's and 245/60/15's with crappy tires to 275/40/17 modern performance tires my braking improved a TON. Those big tires really work the brakes now.

And if the stock stuff still doesn't cut it, keep in mind that Ma Mopar did equip the F/J/M body and police cars with 11.75" front disks and 11" drums. Not as much of an upgrade as some of the new kits out there, but a lot cheaper, and an easy upgrade. You may even get lucky and find all those parts in your local wrecking yard, they came on quite a few models in the late seventies and early eighties. That's the set up I currently run on my Challenger, and it stops pretty darn well.

[LAA66]

The stock disk/drum set up on the e-bodies isn't really that bad, better than a lot of cars from the era, and even later. Sure, its not like having a new car with ABS, but if you feel like you're not stopping well, then something is out of whack. My Challenger with the stock disk/drum set up had no issues locking up all 4 wheels.

 Same here. Check out the movie Vanishing Point, 70 Challenger (Big block). No Problem skidding the tires when everything is right. 

[Talkwrench]

I have already bleed the brakes, def' needed it.. I have a good solid pedal, just a bit "wooden" in feel. I think the brakes would lock up. Suppose its hard to get brakes just how you like it .. Maybe the problem is Im drivin to fast.