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Brake Issue- PLEASE help me beat this!!!


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so i have discovered a new "special noise" on my car.... the first time a apply the breaks when i am driving i hear a loud "thump" from ny rear brakes and they dont stop too well for a second... after that, they are fine with no notable sounds, until i turn the car off, let it sit for a couple minutes and the nturn it on and drive again. then same scenario all over again... sticking drum?? I dont know!! infact, i know NOTHING about brakes... any input would be great. thanks!!!!

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Pull off your rear drums, and make sure that everything that should be tight is, and that nothing is leaking, and that they are adjusted, there should be a star wheel near the bottom between the shoes that you can turn one way or another and that will make the drum harder to turn, you don't want it to stop the drum from turning, but you want it tight enough that it is not super easy to turn.

 

after that i'm cashed.

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Actually, since he's got an EA81 (according to his profile), there isnt a star wheel in the drum, unless I'm missing something. Most of the EA81s I've looked into have a square peg poking out the bottom backside of the drum under a dust cover that you turn to adjust the drums.

 

But yeah, other than that little detail, I have no clue about the thump. Now if it was a thump, and dragging, it'd make more sense to me. Swap out to rear discs and call it a day. ;)

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Yes they can stick. There are are handlfull of springs inside that drum that get week or break, and several pivot points that need to be greased regularly. The piston inside the wheel cylinder gets nasty after years of use too. The hold down springs, or nails, can break and jam up the shoes. They may just need to be cleaned?? Or just bleed out.

 

Get your hands on a repair manual, read the brake section, and have at it. You can rebuild the entire rear brake system in your car right now, and chances are you will never have to do it again. You may find that it is all stock back there! Get new shoes, new wheel cylinders, two cans of brake cleaner, high temp brake lubricant, some brake fluid, and a hardware or hold down kit which will have all the springs and such. If the adjusters, the square headed bolt sticking out of the back, is hard to turn, spray a ton of penetrating oil on it so it doesn't snap off. If you have it all apart, try to get some anit-seize or just grease on the threads so the adjuster will turn easily next time.

Do one side at a time, so you can use the other side as a reference.

 

You will be amazed at how well your vehicle stops with operational, and properly adjusted rear brakes.

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It couild be simplly that the brake shoes are worn and they need adjusted or replaced. If there's too much space between the drum and shoe, you can hear a thump when you hit the brakes.

 

If you hit the brakes and hear the thump, then you immediately hit them again and it doesn't thump, then that could be your problem.

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I'd drive forward, and stop. Then backup and stop. Repeat the process several times and if you hear the clunk everytime, I'm sure you just need to adjust your brakes.

 

Edit: If you're brakes are so out of adjustment that they clunk, then you should pull the drums and inspect them. Chances are you need new brakes and.......?

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Listen to Frank B. Don't do anything till you get a repair manual and read the brake section. If you know nothing about brakes today, what are you going know Monday, that you don't know now? I've done plenty of brake jobs, but I still go back to my repair manual, to get back up to speed and make sure I haven't forgotten to do anything. :headbang:

 

 

that's my 2 cents and it's worth a buck

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