Brake question

[tmckeon88]

If I didn't just spend a fortune on all new brake components then maybe yes.

Something to check is whether the large welded pins that the brake shoes rest on t the bottom are solidly welded into the backing plate. I had a pin that had come loose and for years I couldn't get my brakes adjusted. Despite new parts and re-bleeding they always required extra pumps to get pressure. (It finally resulted in a rear-ending accident in 2010 which got me off my ass and got the truck into a shop where they discovered the broken pin.) With the backing plate replaced, the brakes have never been better.

Just one more thing to look into. It could be on any one of the wheels; it creates slop in the whole system that the hydraulics are called upon to fill.

Tom

[DGG]

An update on my brake saga. Last time I posted was in the beginning of August when I dropped off the truck at my local mechanic. Well two months later, they were able to get a decent pedal and braking. They concluded after bleeding several times, taking off the front backing plates, turning them upside down and bleeding, bench bleeding the master cylinder, that the rear brakes were the main issue.

They were not able to get the brake shoes adjusted out far enough to contact the drum. So it was taking a couple of pumps to get the shoes to the drum. When they did, I had a firm pedal. when I released the pedal, had to start again. They took the adjuster pins out, and drilled holes in the shoes to install pins closer to the adjuster cams to be able to adjust the shoes properly. The shoes were Britpart, so I don't know if that had anything to do with it. I got a set of Mintex shoes to replace in the future or over the winter.

I have been driving the truck around town for the past couple of weeks. On about the third day of driving the truck, I all of a sudden had a good pedal that didn't require pumping the pedal a couple of times. I was very excited until today. I took the truck out for it's longest drive since picking it up, a total of 20 miles. Top speed 50. The truck felt more comfortable at 40 though. At 50, it sounded like it would come apart. I have never driven a Series truck before, so I have no reference.

When I parked the car at home, I smelled burning brakes. I felt each wheel, and they were all really hot. I couldn't keep the back of my hand on the wheel for more than a split second. I tried rolling the truck, but could not. Now what?