Cav rear brakes GRRRRRR

**Don** · 04-29-2005, 04:03 PM

Don`t take the title the wrong way. I really don`t have a problem with rear drums on cars with light rear ends (fwd/pickups) since the rear brakes have only about 30% of the total braking duties.

A properly adjusted set of drums can work just as well as a set of discs under most conditions. The problem I`m having is that I can`t properly adjust my rear drums

The a*****e enginer ( :moon: ) who designed the rear J brakes put the adjuster window wayyyy out in left field where it`s basically useless :angry :beat

I had gone in search a bad brake pull, and I figured making sure the rears were in adjustment would be a good place to start.

Anyhow, I found the RR to be EXTREMELY loose, the drum spun with no contact with the shoes at all. After cleaning all the dust & junk from the works, I start to put the drum back on to start adjusting, when I noticed the so called "adjuster hole" was so far away from the star wheel that you would need a lightning bolt/corkscrew shaped tool to even think about adjusting then assembled.

My method involves backing the shoes out until there is no contact at all, and slowly tightening them up until there is just a hint of drag. Then I get in the car, push the brake pedal and recheck the drag.

To make a long story short (I know, too late) I got the right side adjusted as best I could, then went to the left side. As loose as the right side was, the left side was TIGHT, I didn`t think I was going to get the drum off. I eventually got the brakes adjusted, just not as well as I would have liked.

The shoes have a good 15,000 left, but I guarantee that when it comes time to change shoes, I`ll be drilling holes in the backing plate for adjuster windows right behind the star wheel where they belong.

**holland_patrick** · 04-29-2005, 04:06 PM

not for nothing and I do hate drum brakes but could there be a chance that those two parts are mixed up???

**audiboy** · 04-29-2005, 04:07 PM

Sorry to hear about your not so maintenance freindly vehicle.

All wheel disc brakes >*

**truzoom** · 04-29-2005, 07:10 PM

Sounds like a rear disc conversion would be up for consideration?

**Don** · 04-29-2005, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by holland_patrick

not for nothing and I do hate drum brakes but could there be a chance that those two parts are mixed up???

No, the starwheel is at 6 o`clock and the "adjuster window" is at 8 o`clock on an 8" circle (6 o`clock and 4 o`clock on the left side). Even if I switched them, they`d still be way off

**CharlesW** · 05-01-2005, 03:08 PM

Were the drums replaced after your accident???
Like with the wrong drums for your year or model.

Charles

**GearHead_1** · 05-01-2005, 04:23 PM

This is probably not your answer but some of the old Cavaliers had adjustment windows in the drum and not the backing plate. You would be able to see the punch mark in the drum if this were the case.

**Don** · 05-01-2005, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by CharlesW

Were the drums replaced after your accident???
Like with the wrong drums for your year or model.

Charles

Nope

Originally Posted by GearHead_1

This is probably not your answer but some of the old Cavaliers had adjustment windows in the drum and not the backing plate. You would be able to see the punch mark in the drum if this were the case.

No, the window is on the plate, it`s a rounded rectangle with the easy-out rubber plug (I don`t think a 2K2 is that old)