Over-adjusted rear brakes?????

I just adjusted my rear brakes. I did so just to see how much help I could get from the drums.

O.K. so I raise the rear of the XJ, throw the auto into neutral, pull the plug off the backing plate on the drivers side. I used a screw driver to adjust.

Now I have read to spin the wheel while adjusting until I 'feel' drag and stop, heres where it gets interesting. I have a Detroit in the rear of my 8.25 so while spinning the wheel I spin the entire rearend. With the passenger side wheel spinning it was hard to 'feel' anything so, I just 'rocked' the drivers side wheel forward and backward throughout the 'play' zone the Detroit has.

I clicked that adjuster probably 12-15 times before I felt any drag so I stopped. I remember reading that Detroits become 'interesting' when tire pressure is off so I began to wonder if I don't adjust each side the same I could get handling problems. So I stand there and spin the drivers side wheel forward continuously, the locker allowed the drivers side wheel to free-wheel while the driveshaft and pass. side wheel didn't spin. I don't understand that. If there was 'more' drag on the drivers side wheel why would it free-wheel?

Anyway, I tried to get the passenger side adjusted the same. I adjusted the passenger side until the locker locked while spinning the passenger side. Got that done, now for the test drive.

Holy crap this thing stops way better now. I can haul this thing down to a stop quick now. I can hear the rear MT/R's grabbing the asphalt hard. I couldn't get the rears to lock, I probably didn't try hard enough.

So, with the upgraded front brakes and the adjusted rears I feel confident now.

After the test drive I returned home. Unsure if I 'over' adjusted the brakes I touched the drums; they were hot as all get out!

I am worried that I have 'over' adjusted the brakes; it seems that under hard acceleration there is too much drag. But, while coasting it doesn't slow on its own any more than it used to.

I can see the rear locking instantly the next time it rains. Any thoughts?

If you constantly adjust them as I do, this is how well they will work. The self adjusters though they will function if everything is clean, never seem to keep them this tight. The locker does make it hard to adjust because sometimes it will let the wheel freewheel and other times it will lock. It doesn't neccesarily mean somethings wrong with the locker. I do it just as you described, rocking the wheel back and forth till I can feel drag. You do want to check that the wheel doesn't bind in a certain position. If the drums aren't perfectly round, you will get a tight spot, and aloose spot. Try to adjust it in the tighter area.