You think they might have shrunk…the drums? Is that possible? We’re not talking about extreme temperatures. I live in SoCal, Inland Empire to be more exact.
He is obviously a experienced tech that is pulling your leg,making fun at a typical DIY problem.
I knew that, ya I knew that…hahaha
Thanks for all the help everyone
Try backing off the park brake adjuster. If the park brake was adjusted in the past this COULD, not guaranteed, COULD solve the problem.
Just as suggested earlier make sure the shoes are correct.
The rust ridge on the lip of the drum cannot be tapped down. If you cannot turn them and cannot buy them then take a course file and remove it yourself. I would not do it but if you need to, well…
Sorry Whitey, your thinking in the right direction but it won’t work. Drum brakes always return to a fully retracted position, thats why there are adjusters on drums.
I had the same problem, turned out i let the brakes go so long the wheel cylinder was extended out, so i had to take pads back off, loosen the bleeder screw, and took a small bar and hammer then taped both sides of cylinder back, and yes after wasting half a day, the drum slid right on,
Next time you have the drum off, good idea to double check that wheel cylinder isn’t leaking. That over-travel problem can sometimes damage the piston seals.
What type of tape did you use?
The OP likely no longer has the car 10 years later.
By the way, using a hammer to tap the pistons back into the wheel cylinder isn’t a good idea. You run the risk of damaging the pistons and/or the bore of the wheel cylinder.
Yep. Time for new wheel cylinders, either way.
With the bleeder open you should be able to squeeze the pistons back into their bores by hand. If a hammer was needed to tap them back in, I suspect the wheel cylinder is corroded. Did you test the brake independently to make sure it was working? Wheel off ground, rotate by hand and have someone step on brake…