New World Datsuns...

So it's been a while since I've been on here. Work and my house, along with not having garage space has kept me from Dayton related shit for a long time. Since it's been nice and I had a free day I decided to do replace the drums on my b210(yes izzo it's been a while, haven't been driving it on the bad backs for a while). I got em installed, pretty sure they're adjusted right tho knowing me I'm probably wrong, but when I apply light pressure the pedal drops to the floor. Apply medium to hard and it stays up. It was doing this before tho dropping any time I braked, and I was told the New shoes and adjustment would fix it. I've spent about 4 hours adjusting, driving, adjusting, driving, etc today and my minds fried. Any ideas, or should I just keep trying? Oh and I did bleed it.

it would goto the floro before, then I would adjust it and it worked fine.

The shoes were getting down there, but it always rose to the top when I adjusted them and they were super tight after that.. I am betting the master is giving up the ghost. i slightly remember pedal pressure would drop if i kept my foot on teh brakes, slowly but surely it would creep to the bottom, then a quick tap and it would rise back to the top again. since you bled them, I assume you are topped off on the reservoirs too.

Damn I was hoping you wouldn't say that. And ya that's pretty much what happens. Reservoirs are full, I was just hoping it was my adjustment job cause its the first time I've done drums, but according to everything I've read I have it right. I gotta check it one more time tomorrow cause the right drum seemed to be heating up, but I wanna go farther than a mile to make sure.

Heat...Did you over tighten one side?

Everything else sounds like a MC to me.

That's what I thought, until I realized it was adjusted as far as it could go. Hence why I wanna take a longer drive, then Jack the car up and check the drums to see.

ok man.. those things are easy to adjust

Life the car up and pull the wheel off. you screw it in (the little square adjuster on the back) to adjust the shoes out towards the drums... try and turn the drum every click it goes over... Once you click it, and you can't move the drum, back it off one click, do the other side same way.. When under the car looking at the adjuster... Clockwise makes the shoes go out towards the drums, counter clockwise backs them off.

Those adjusters are far more easy then the star adjusters on other vehicles... Too tight will cause it to got hot and burn up the shoes/warp the rotor, or worse... make the drum or shoes explode (ive seent it!)

We'll I'll do it that way tomorrow if weather n my plueresy let's me. Sounds like Google and YouTube led me astray . I was spinning the wheel and adjusting until I'd get one to one and a half rotations out if it.

I supposed you could do it that way? seems a lot harder

Its pretty easy to rotate that drum.. I don't do full rotations mind you, i just move it forwards/backwards.. when the brakes drag, i back it one off... always been tits on


Brakes are easy for me it seems.


I replaced 1 drum brake, cylinder, shoes, and adjuster on the truck i sold janksun. He brought the thing to a mechanic to do the other 3 as it was late. 400 dollars and 8 hours later he only had one working brake, mine... Drove that fucker all the way to cali like that.

Ya they seem to work, and well, I'm just worried about the one side heating up. I'll try and take it out tomorrow for a longer drive and see if it heats up. If it does I'm at a complete loss cause I can't bring the shoes in any farther.

if they are adjusted all the way in, somethings not right. even with brand new drums, and brand new shoes, you should have some slop/room in there and needing a little adjustment. (meaning room to push the shoes out towards the drums)

Also, I can't remember if I did, but i think i adjusted the e-brake on that... that might be causing it to drag also. adjust that out and give the cables a little more slack if need be.

I'll give that a look too then. Thanks for the help gents

I've always adjusted my drums with wheel on(keeps drum aligned) and went til the wheel was locked or all but locked, then backed off one click. I think a click is a quarter turn. It will get tight mid turn, and then it gets easy again. Also how does the ebrake feel? I know its time to adjust the brakes when I have to pull the ebrake close to the end of its throw.

pretty sure when I had it, it was adjusted to where when you pulled on that e brake it was very useful you can leave your wheel on. I always take it off. never had a drum become mis-aligned by taking a wheel off. drums are always a cunt to get off from being froze on

Ebrake goes close to the top. And honestly, I don't think my arm will fit back there with the wheel on, I tried lol

devilsbullet wrote:Ebrake goes close to the top. And honestly, I don't think my arm will fit back there with the wheel on, I tried lol

Ahh well, its probably not the e-brake but double check the cable while you're under there.. if you can play a tune on it, its too tight, if not then its fine... Yeah, I couldn't either man. there is NO room under that thing.. You have to get it in the air and crawl under it, I found it much easier to just take the tire off so i didn't have to be under it... even under it there isn't much room.

Ya. And of course it's raining now... Maybe my dad will let me steal his garage

Yea, I lift the back of the wagon so the axle drops. more room! I go at it from underneath.

Also, the square is a 1/4" square. So take a 1/4" drive socket turn it around and stick it on there. Then Take an Allen key of same size as socket (say 8mm?) Cut it so its straight, stick it in the socket, and then just get a 3/8th drive ratchet with 8mm socket and place on the allen key. Bam, no stripping the square nub.

I've been using a 1/4 drive extension and a 7 mm wrench, works pretty good lol

If you need a hand im right down the street.