When you see it

[Leonard1]

Well I didn't mean to keep everyone in suspense, the story isn't really that great, I was just too tired to type it all last night. I'm actually suprised how many posted overnight.

I bought this squarebody at the first of the year to tinker with, get it running and on the road, and probably unload it early next year. I'm almost to the point of test driving the thing, and slide under to put the driveshaft in, when I notice a massive brake fluid leak on the left rear. (The picture is of the right rear, I didn't think to get my camera out before I tore into the left side.)

Anyway, I pulled the tire off and have my my screwdrivers ready to back the adjuster when I notice there's no hole in the drum or the backing plate. Not good, my next thought was that this thing still has the original shoes, and I'm gonna break something with the bfh it will take to remove it. But I pulled on the drum, and it slid right off in my hand. I was pleasantly shocked, if there is such a thing. The shoes still look perfect, my bet is that they have never even touched the drum, but they are saturated with fluid, so they will have to be changed. As I'm looking it over, I notice that the adjuster on that side is in the right location, but backwards. The teeth don't even touch the bar that moves it.

At this point, it's obvious that whoever put these shoes on didn't have any idea what they were doing. And, since folks don't typically (attempt to) change the brakes on only one side of the axle, I'll bet they messed up the other side too. So I pulled the drum off the passenger's side, took a pic, and called it a night.

Of course, the adjuster is the glaringly obvious problem with the pic. It was actually rubbing on the drum, which conviently removed the teeth from the bottom. The spreader bar? (not sure the exact term) below the wheel cylinder is not in the correct spot, either, but that's kinda hard to tell from the pic.

I don't get it, if a person doesn't know any more about brakes than that, why wouldn't they find someone who does? Yes, everyone has to learn, but nothing was taught here. Just imagine this guy on the test drive if the truck had drums on all 4 wheels!

[sfont66]

Got it. just a bit late.... do we see more? is there trouble with the axle

[truckster]

Yeah, the question I was dying to ask was if the adjuster was hitting the drum, and what that looked like.

Somebody probably thought they did a great job with their first brake job...

[57taskforce]

I noticed the spreader too. I bet that truck had an awesome pedal feel.

[Ol Blue K20]

Goodness! You would think the rubbing of the adjuster would have been a clue.......

[inline67c20]

got it

[72c20customcamper]

Good God. People who dont know wtfthey are doing shouldn't be touching anything specially brakes

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Good God. People who dont know wtfthey are doing shouldn't be touching anything specially brakes

Indeed. I see it here sometimes and check to make sure they live in another state. I get the heebie-jeebies when the brakes don't work. 2-3 tons of steel that you can't stop? No thank you.

[67C10Step]

Got it and would be funny if it weren't a bit scary.

[special-K]

If who ever that was could do what we see here, they could have done it right. Ask someone, look online for pictures and videos, etc. There are ways to find out how to do it right. Of course, had they only done one side at a time...

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by special-K

If who ever that was could do what we see here, they could have done it right. Ask someone, look online for pictures and videos, etc. There are ways to find out how to do it right. Of course, had they only done one side at a time...

When I do something I have little experience with I do that . But I take detailed pictures before I take it apart.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

When I do something I have little experience with I do that . But I take detailed pictures before I take it apart.

Problem with that!

I will follow the PO on the OP. surely

[yuccales]

Leonard1, the "third" I thought I saw is the one stud looks like the axle hole is hogged out? Maybe just a shadow, or my old eyes.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by yuccales

Leonard1, the "third" I thought I saw is the one stud looks like the axle hole is hogged out? Maybe just a shadow, or my old eyes.

Could be a tropical delusion, what with the camera. There could be a shadow there. If it was that loose, it probably would just spin, on attempted removal.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

When I do something I have little experience with I do that . But I take detailed pictures before I take it apart.

I watched a mechanic take the front hub apart on a '71 K/20 down to removing the axle shafts. He had a cloth laid out on the ground and placed each part he removed on it as if an exploded view. He was so methodic that after watching I could easily tear into 4wd front ends with confidence.

[Leonard1]

Originally Posted by yuccales

Leonard1, the "third" I thought I saw is the one stud looks like the axle hole is hogged out? Maybe just a shadow, or my old eyes.

I think the axle is fine, just the angle of the camera.

[saxart]

Stuff like this always makes me wonder if this is part of the reason that drum brakes get a bad rap. We all know that drums will overheat quickly, or not be as effective in the rain, but you can bet that after "rebuilding" the brakes like this person did, they probably said, "That truck's brakes never worked correctly....even after I went through the trouble of rebuilding them!"

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by special-K

I watched a mechanic take the front hub apart on a '71 K/20 down to removing the axle shafts. He had a cloth laid out on the ground and placed each part he removed on it as if an exploded view. He was so methodic that after watching I could easily tear into 4wd front ends with confidence.

I did that once with a jeep quadra trac transfer case on my uncle's lift. I hade the workshop manual but setting it down just as you took it out helps even more than the book

[yuccales]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

Could be a tropical delusion,

With how hot its been this week, I believe you are right!

[RodnRudy]

Got it

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by yuccales

With how hot its been this week, I believe you are right!

My late uncle called them "obstacle dilusions".

[davischevy]

I bought an abandoned project a couple years ago that had every thing new. For some reason I pulled the drums off. Everything was backwards. Shoes and adjusters.

I think somebody had the rear end on a bench, upside down, when they put it together.

[vics stuff]

with all the road grime on the brake assy , looks like this guy was able to run this for a while like that. Make me say HMMMMMM
Vic

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by vics stuff

with all the road grime on the brake assy , looks like this guy was able to run this for a while like that. Make me say HMMMMMM
Vic

We had a meth head kid in the truck shop at work. ( Fired and in jail now.) I was busy and thought he surely could do a brake job on My Longhorn.

I drove it for six months afterward, and made a panic stop one day and the rear brakes were non existent. I pulled the rear drums, and low and behold the adjusters were frozen, and in backwards, and had been for years. I freed and lubricated the adjusters, installed new brakes and moved to the front.

He had put new pads on the front, but I guess he couldn't get the drums off, so he just told me he had it finished and moved on.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by davischevy

We had a meth head kid in the truck shop at work. ( Fired and in jail now.) I was busy and thought he surely could do a brake job on My Longhorn.

I drove it for six months afterward, and made a panic stop one day and the rear brakes were non existent. I pulled the rear drums, and low and behold the adjusters were frozen, and in backwards, and had been for years. I freed and lubricated the adjusters, installed new brakes and moved to the front.

He had put new pads on the front, but I guess he couldn't get the drums off, so he just told me he had it finished and moved on.

Typical Troubled Youth these days, even the ones who dont do drugs are like that.

All for a buck.