Rear brakes? Auto adjust?

Good you got it fixed.

 

Reviving and old thread...

Just had my brakes done at Midas. Rotors were warped and pads super thin. Mechanic said rear shoes showed hardly any wear. If the auto-adjust was working properly, shouldn't there be some wear on the shoes? Midas did the fronts and left the rear as is. I feel like I still don't stop very well. Any suggestions?

 

Doesn’t using your E brake on a regular basis keep your rear brakes adjusted also?

 

I think you need to follow the field service manual which says:

ADJUST REAR DRUM BRAKE SHOE CLEARANCE
(a) Provisionally install the hub nuts.
(b) Remove the hole plug, and turn the adjuster to expand the shoe until the drum locks.
(c) Using a screwdriver, release the adjuster 15 notches.
(d) Install the hole plug.

 

I ended up taking my truck back to Midas last night. They admitted to not looking at the rears. So they did and sure enough, they needed some adjustment and cleaning. I asked about the auto adjust feature mentioned here and they said even auto adjust need some love every now and then. They also warrantied the rotors for some reason. The truck now stops as I feel it should.

 

Yes.

I have noticed a significant improvement in stopping power after using the e-brake to slow the truck in a forward direction, then releasing. I generally don't use the e-brake when backing up. But I guess the point is to use the e-brake mechanism on a regular basis to keep the rear brakes adjusted. If you only use the main brakes, the star adjusters will never push the shoes out at the bottom (adjusting for wear) and the result is that the shoes will wear unevenly.

 

I hate the springs on this truck.
Some how my driver side adjuster lever fell off. Likely when i pulled the wrong plug to adjust the star. Ooops
147k on these
Replacement done. Thank god. I hate drums