30 minute fix to a soft break pedal and non-existant e-brake

First remove your wheels and drums. There is a tensioner bolt on the bottom of the shoe assembly. Turning this tensioner, which is a bolt with gears on it, counter-clockwise presses the shoes outward. I used vise grips to do this. Sprayed brake clean on everything. I expanded them until I could barely get the drums on. Then put them back together. On both Eric's 44, and my 35 the tensioner is on the bottom. Instantly we both noticed the difference upon stat up. The break pedals no longer sink when the vehicle starts. Also the e-brake works again. Now I need to say that this is a temporary fix to a bigger problem. This means that your auto tensioner is gummed up.

Yup, rear brakes control 90% of your brake pedal feel and front brakes control 90% of your braking.

Go figure.

You can adjust the "tensioner" without removing the drums, or even the wheels. Jack the wheels off the ground. Use a flat tip screw driver or "brake spoon" tool. There are small rubber plugs on the backing plates. Remove the plug and turn the star wheel until the shoe starts to drag on the drum. (It's called adjusting your rear brakes)

By the way, the adjuster(tensioner) is part of an automatic system. If it is working, all you have to do is back up and apply the brakes hard. You might have to do this a few times. The adjusters will automatically tension the brakes properly.

Four years ago when we brought our '88 Laredo, the brakes were terrible. Both adjusters were stuck. On the workbench I put a little heat to them just to get them to unscrew. Cleaned up the threads with a fine wire wheel, flushed out with brake cleaner, wiped on some high temp lube, and good as new. Still have solid braking and good E-brake to this day.

I just bought new ones for like $6 each.

tbburg said:

You can adjust the "tensioner" without removing the drums, or even the wheels. Jack the wheels off the ground. Use a flat tip screw driver or "brake spoon" tool. There are small rubber plugs on the backing plates. Remove the plug and turn the star wheel until the shoe starts to drag on the drum. (It's called adjusting your rear brakes)

By the way, the adjuster(tensioner) is part of an automatic system. If it is working, all you have to do is back up and apply the brakes hard. You might have to do this a few times. The adjusters will automatically tension the brakes properly.

Click to expand...

100% correct.

wolfpackjeeper said:

I just bought new ones for like $6 each.

Click to expand...

also a good idea. while you have it apart, might as well replace everything just to be sure.

Drums suck, discs woo! Mine never stay adjusted. Replaced pads, springs, the star adjuster "wire" (the wire with the spring on it) and they still don't adjust like they should.

I have tried anti seize on the threads of the star adjusting bolt and they seem to get sticky after awhile. I found that caliper grease works best.