Getting fed up

Yes, they will self adjust. I would try to get the other side done quickly. You do not want one tire to lock up if you need to brake hard. Hang in there, you will get it all done.

 

We got your back Brandon.
Make sure that the brake adjuster moves easily. Reverse will adjust your brakes after a little while. Maybe spray lube on adjuster to ensure easy adjustment.

 

Is there supposed to be some resistance to it?

 

to comment on the rear drums, it might not be that the ebrake is stuck it might be that the rear pads what worn down so far that they have worn a grove on the inside of the drum and now when youre trying to take the drum off the pads are getting hung up in the grove that is on the inside of the drum. I know this because i neglected my rear brakes and thats what the issue was when i tried taking them off. there are two holes on the drums that you can thread a bolt into that will push the drums off, try that and if its just bending the center of the drum out then leave to bolts in and start prying at the drum while working your way around the drum. youl notice it move a little at a time and when it does tighten the bolts in the center of the drum to keep pushing it off. Its a long process and took me about 30 min per side to get my drums off.

hang in there, im 21 and know everything i know about vehicles because of this site and ttora. if you have a present giving holiday coming up ask your parents for this http://www.sears.com/craftsman-258-...1x000001&kpid=00931783000&kispla=00931783000P

thats what i got for my 19th birthday and it got me started on being able to work on my own truck.

 

Yes. it stops it from going back after it adjusts. That is why it takes two screwdrivers to loosen.

 

Yea I got the passenger side off. Was a complete bitch. My shoes looked brand new and my drum was smooth. So the e-brake was causing them to fully expand which was causing the brakes to stick. Got the passenger side done and all I have left is the driver's side. As for the tool kit, that thing is bad ass lol. My 19th birthday is in about a month but that's a little much being as I don't have anywhere to put it lol. I bought a 64 piece socket set from Harbor Freight and its come in handy a good number of times. If I cant afford the one from Sears, I'll see if HF has anything like that cheaper.

 

I have all kobalt and snap on tools my fiances dad has a 300 or something piece tool set from HF and surprisingly it has held up well to the abuse i have put it through at his house working on his old truck. And I took it with me to the junk yard to get my leafs it did well.

 

Any idea on how much that 300 piece set cost? Looking to invest in something like that down the road but right now the money I'm earning needs to go to my truck to get it in good mechanical condition, and later on, physical condition

 

I told my parents to buy the set for me about a month before my birthday because it went on sale for $150. Worst part about it was that I knew they had it but I couldnt have it till my bday. Haha and the box is pretty small. I throw it in the jump seat of my xcab when I go on road trips or out wheeling

 

I think he said somewhere near 200

 

Just for future reference, on my taco there were 2 bolt holes on the drum to literally screw a bolt into and it'll push the drum off. Makes it pretty easy to get off

 

Are you sure you don't simply need puller bolts to remove the drums? 2nd gens require them.

 

Exactly what my thinking was. My first gen uses them

 

Those bolts work most of the time. Salty Va. roads make it real difficult if you don't pull drums for 2-3 yrs. Striped bolts yrs. ago by not taking my time and working around it. It is a good sound when it pops off under right conditions.

 

No, its not the mileage that determines this, its the use or mis use in some cases, didn't even get past first page, but I feel your pain in you're ignorance in what to look for when shopping around for a vehicle (& ignorance isn't an insult, if you don't know what to look for then how do you know when you've seen it /found it right ?) You are fast learning that your a victim of the last owner(s) negligence in simple maintenance, the rear shoe issue can be gotten around by backing off the adjuster between the shoes from a small access point on backing plate behind drum most likely, its a pain in the ass , just make sure you go the right direction to draw the shoes together that loosen the shoes up , probably wont be hard to determine if shoes are that tight against the drum

Even the most poorly designed engines can have a long life if something as routine & humdrum as regular oil changes/lubes/ changing of fluids at regular intervals is done, your truck sounds like its a victim of abuse, not necessarily because it was thrashed offroad or on road, its the way it is because NOTHING was done in a timely manner, you may have a temp. money pit but I'll bet the next time around you'll be alot more savvy about what to look for because you're getting an education now....

 

You readjusted those,, correct?. Shoes slightly dragging the drums when you spin it over is what you want, or the "backing up" self adjust might not work.

You mentioned a complete brake job last October? Any idea on what they replaced?

I take it you were able to get the remnants of the drum pull bolt out of the drum?. (The bolt that snapped off). If it didn't snap off flush on both sides and/or get removed,,then it can lever your drum over off the axle face and cause mass drum warpage and crazy vibrations. Could also cause a loose wheel situation due to that.

Easy is the key to those drum pull threads. Tighten the bolts a bit EQUALLY,,hammer the drum,,tighten a bit more equally,, hammer the outside edge of the drum. Repeat until it pops free or your pulling sequence walks it off the shoes. Sometimes, you have to back the shoes off first in order to get the drum to move off,,as you had to do. Light duty thread's on those so you have to be easy. Never seize is buddy on those set of threads.

My 85 had those pull threads on the drum. A awesome idea that someone there had many years ago.

 

The warning light is absolutely telling you that the fluid is low, but it doesn't get low without going somewhere. Probably, the rear shoes are worn out from being stuck, and all that fluid that should be in the reservoir is in the rear wheel cylinders.

 

If the drivers side looks new and the drum is ok, it might be just stuck cable(s), levers, or it might be the prop valve in the back not working correctly.

Being in a constant state of loaded bed, depending on rear weight and with the springs setting a bit lower. The proportioning valve has depressed the piston in the valve, causing a more even bias between front and back brake pressure occasionally,,or should be occasionally.

The drivers side, that should tell the tale if there is one. Go there first and inspect.

And you have a low fluid light now,,,. This truck is a 5000 piece puzzle.

 

I understand how the system is supposed to work and I agree that the fluid has to go somewhere and would show itself if leaking, but with the amount of problems he's experiencing and the possibility of the indicator light being in-op, I didn't want to leave anything to chance.

It also served in part of educating him in future problem solving as he mentioned he has limited experience with things that are mechanical.