Hi all. When I brake hard or brake sharply in the wet or on gravel, my rear left hand side drum seems to lock and then skids which is a bit of a worry. Anything I should look for when I take the hub off to check the brakes? Thanks everyone. 1989 YJ.
Left rear brake drum Issue
- Thread starter jpjeep26uk
- Start date
Ive had similar issues with my right rear. In my case its the adjusters not working correctly and over tightening on that side. Make sure your e brake cables are releasing correctly, there is no axle seal leakage (90wt) or brake fluid contamination on the shoes. If that looks OK make sure the adjusters are not froze up and there are no groves in the backing plates from the shoes wearing into them. If all that checks out Id carefully blow, brush, hose out the brake dust and readjusting them evenly and see how that does. To me best case is these are short wheel based so hitting the brakes hard in a corner or at speed is gonna be tricky at times.
Flyer58
YJ Enthusiast
I once had this years ago and found part of the brake pad had separated from the metal shoe. Each time I stepped on the brakes the loose piece got wedged and would lock up the wheel.
UK care but year told, Right hand drive , correct ,for drawing swords on the fly and all that, stuff
uk 89 YJ
there is no ABS here right? my year was an option but , 89 never here. ABS.
and lacking ABS all cars do that, on gravel. all do.
or ice
or snow
or mud,gravel sand, dirt.
or wet slippery oily roads, are not your roads wet all the time?(dreary UK)<sorry !
a rear brake job is best
the best is shoes arc'd to the drums or new drums with pre arc' shoes. (I just did mine)
that means the shoes have the same arc as the drums. for prefect contact and friction.
and then brake vastly better.
in the days all brakes needed to arc on shop machine, today most are pre-arc'd for you. most of the machines were banned for asbestos, thus the tend.
you need a brake job. if braking is not as good as new.
so did you drive this for 34 years, and just now brakes poorly ? (history does matter)
or your first ever cave man (my name) brake car? (no abs)?
it may be only this
the 3 parking brake cables rusty and seized and normal service brakes rear are now crazy unbalanced. too.
my cables were stock and looked like water magnets(sponges), (no plastic covering at all ,yikes. ) $100 USD and new cables put on and now
the rear brakes can be adjusted and balanced. (star adjusters x2) in drum.
find a shop to do this, for max safety.
uk 89 YJ
there is no ABS here right? my year was an option but , 89 never here. ABS.
and lacking ABS all cars do that, on gravel. all do.
or ice
or snow
or mud,gravel sand, dirt.
or wet slippery oily roads, are not your roads wet all the time?(dreary UK)<sorry !
a rear brake job is best
the best is shoes arc'd to the drums or new drums with pre arc' shoes. (I just did mine)
that means the shoes have the same arc as the drums. for prefect contact and friction.
and then brake vastly better.
in the days all brakes needed to arc on shop machine, today most are pre-arc'd for you. most of the machines were banned for asbestos, thus the tend.
you need a brake job. if braking is not as good as new.
so did you drive this for 34 years, and just now brakes poorly ? (history does matter)
or your first ever cave man (my name) brake car? (no abs)?
it may be only this
the 3 parking brake cables rusty and seized and normal service brakes rear are now crazy unbalanced. too.
my cables were stock and looked like water magnets(sponges), (no plastic covering at all ,yikes. ) $100 USD and new cables put on and now
the rear brakes can be adjusted and balanced. (star adjusters x2) in drum.
find a shop to do this, for max safety.
Last edited:
or google how to fully inspect drum brakes
or read the ASE books on legacy brakes.
or get the disc upgrade kit (costly)
or read the ASE books on legacy brakes.
or get the disc upgrade kit (costly)
Hi, I traced it to a crap, fused rear right brake cable which had been sneakily covered up by a PO. Totally not moving so essentially useless. Despite passing govt MOT months before.....
I stripped it, cleaned it, got the cable free inside and refit. It was much better and braked more evenly but it's started to go again so I've ordered a proper new cable and will fit it soon.
We are currently having crap wet weather but usually it's pretty dry and breezy here in the UK, so hopefully get a chance to do wet and dry testing. Cheers all.
I stripped it, cleaned it, got the cable free inside and refit. It was much better and braked more evenly but it's started to go again so I've ordered a proper new cable and will fit it soon.
We are currently having crap wet weather but usually it's pretty dry and breezy here in the UK, so hopefully get a chance to do wet and dry testing. Cheers all.
yes and 1 rusted cable, makes both fail. seized.
mine , omg, the right cable was seized in the full hard parked setting of foot pedal.
rust happens, 3 new cables is the best cure. and I lube mine using my fancy harley cable lubing tool.
it also makes rear brake shoes, 100 % impossible to adjust
and with new shoes fitted and new drums by hand tries to put it on fails. hard.
rust is fun ,no?
the new drums will never ever go on, at all, like this.
also the pain #2 is the new cables love to fall off the 2 ends of the 2 behind, trailing shoes levers.(park) the cure is a tie wrap on the end.
get the parking cables fully installed and adjusted first. or max pain happens.
just 30 days and fresh in my mind
last is set the star adjuster of light drag, with both rear tires off the floor, so you feel only the one you are doing at a time.
4wd in neutral, and front tires chocked. I put mine up on jackstands, x2 rear.
when done stomp the service main brakes HARD, parked. to centralize the front proportioning valve, no air in the system.
mine , omg, the right cable was seized in the full hard parked setting of foot pedal.
rust happens, 3 new cables is the best cure. and I lube mine using my fancy harley cable lubing tool.
it also makes rear brake shoes, 100 % impossible to adjust
and with new shoes fitted and new drums by hand tries to put it on fails. hard.
rust is fun ,no?
the new drums will never ever go on, at all, like this.
also the pain #2 is the new cables love to fall off the 2 ends of the 2 behind, trailing shoes levers.(park) the cure is a tie wrap on the end.
get the parking cables fully installed and adjusted first. or max pain happens.
just 30 days and fresh in my mind
last is set the star adjuster of light drag, with both rear tires off the floor, so you feel only the one you are doing at a time.
4wd in neutral, and front tires chocked. I put mine up on jackstands, x2 rear.
when done stomp the service main brakes HARD, parked. to centralize the front proportioning valve, no air in the system.