Front shoes worn out???

[derek7871]

'68 F-100, 4x2, manual drums all around.

I've noticed a squeel at low speed coming from my front brakes.  When I apply the brakes, the squeel stops.  Do these old drum brakes have a squeeler like modern disc brakes that let you know when the pad/shoe is worn out?

Another related issue...About a week ago I took the truck my my local brake shop (I don't do brakes) and they said the star wheel auto adjusters were not working and they set it to where it will be ok for a while.  Since this adjustment one of the front brakes is dragging just a little bit sometimes, not all of the time.  I thought I would just wear off the little bit that was dragging.  It's been about 300 miles and the brake is dragging less frequently but the low speed squeeling has started.  

Is the low speed squeel telling me I need new drums and/or shoes?

Cooter

[fordman]

they dont have a squeeler in them. it may be that the adjuster came loose and it scrapping the drum or the shoes have worn down and could be rubbing the drum. or even the adjuster cable is broekn and rubbing the drum. or maybe the shoes have worn from rubbing the drum a little and that is making the noise. the only way to tell is to pull the drum and look for soemthing rubbing or something loose.

[derek7871]

About pulling the drum....  It seems that I have read that can be difficult.  Is there a trick to getting it off?

Cooter

[flyboy2610]

About pulling the drum....  It seems that I have read that can be difficult.  Is there a trick to getting it off?

Cooter

These drums are pressed onto the hub. Remove the hub assembly, take it to a brake shop and have them press the drum off.

[fordman]

the easy way to remove the drum is to pull the hub and drum as one piece. take the center cap off of the hub. remove the kotter pin. remove the saftey tin nut. un screw the main nut . give a slight pull to the drum and the outer bearign and wsher will pop out of the hub. catch them and put them in a clean place with the nut and other stuff. pull the drum all the way off and see what may be rubbing or falling out of the drum when you pull it off. no need to seperate the drum and hub unless you are replacing the drum.

[70_F100]

These drums are pressed onto the hub. Remove the hub assembly, take it to a brake shop and have them press the drum off.

The drums aren't pressed onto the hubs.  They are held in place by knurling the wheel studs once everything is assembled.

The easiest way to replace the drums is to take a BFH and knock the studs out.  That will let the drum slide off the hub easily.  To replace, simply insert new studs from the back side of the hub and pull them in by installing the lug nuts backwards with a flat washer between the nut and the stud.  Slide the drum back on, and the wheel will hold it in place.

Like fordman said, unless you're replacing the drum, there's no need to separate it from the hub.

[dssco]

A sound that goes away when you apply the brakes could be a bad wheel bearing. When the shoes expand they remove a little bit of pressure from the inner bearing, thus stopping the noise. Remove the drum from the spindle and look at the wheel bearing races, that's the easiest way to spot a bad bearing. Let us know what you find. Hope this helps.

[derek7871]

Thanks for all the replies.  The truck is at the shop right now and I'm expecting a call any time.  I'll be sure to post what was wrong.  Thanks again!!

[derek7871]

Well, it turns out one of the front drum shoes was worn out.  The passenger side was worn almost down to the rivets and the wheel cylinder was leaking a little. Apparently it has been dragging for a while now.   I had all the wheel cylinders replaced about 3 years ago during a "brake system overhaul", but I've driven the truck about 31,000 miles since then and parts do wear out and fail.  Anyway, they are going to replace the leaking wheel cylinder and put new shoes on both sides on the front.  It sure is nice having a place that you can tell "Just do whatever it takes to make it work properly" and not have to worry about getting ripped off.

Cooter