Brakes

[steve welder]

Happy to say my 48 cj2a is running sweet and the trans is shifting great, no more pop out of second......Thanks to all for the help
Im having some issues with the brakes, shoes cylinders and master are new. I bled system a few times. The problem now is I cannot get the brakes to lock up in a panic stop situation, generally speaking I feel they are not stoping as well as they should
My drums are all new and they dont have the slot for a feeler gauge. I feel im not adjusting them properly in spite of everything ive read
I bit the bullet and bought one of those speciality open end wrenches and I made up a offset 3/4 box wrench
Any tips or advise on how you adjust brakes is appreciated
Thanks ----Steve

[bmorgil]

Steve, I have experienced, and still do somewhat share your observations. I think the parts we are getting are not up to spec. I believe the drums are oversize and the shoes are not arched correctly, my feelings anyway. It does appear there are some components that when assembled don't work quite right. After completely replacing everything on my brakes, I have had a very difficult time adjusting them. It is difficult for me to get all the adjusters to adjust out the way they should. I have resorted to adjusting them by feel and hearing. I adjust the top and the bottom out till they both appear to be making contact or, are as close as I can get them. As the brakes wear in, the shoes seem to fit a bit better and the brakes work better as I get a few good stops on them. After a good working of the brakes, bring it in and re-adjust several times. I have found that eventually they settle down and work a bit better. I have never been able to lock the brakes on dry pavement. It will lock them on gravel.

gmwillys has a great deal of experience with these brakes. Lets see what he thinks.

[gmwillys]

I completely agree with Bmorgil on the quality of the shoes for sure. I'm still running the old drums that probably date back to before at least the Nixon administration, but are pretty round. I have too been going round and round with brake adjustments. It has become a biannual service point for the Heep. All of my adjusters look good, and has an acceptable range of movement, but they do not keep the adjustment after performing a panic stop. In short, everything works well until you stomp the pedal, and the adjusters give just enough to be out of adjustment. I have not pulled the drums off to see how the shoes are wearing to see if the shoe arch is off. That could be the cause for the give too.

I like to adjust the shoes with a feeler gauge, but I have the windows on the drums. Since you do not, then I would do like Bmorgil is saying, and adjust the shoes outward until they drag, then back them off until you can turn the drum, but still feel a very slight drag on the shoes. This will help reduce the free pedal, plus the slight drag will help seat in the shoes to the drum.

My big issue with the brakes as they are now is not the stopping distance, but rather pulling to the right or left. I adjust them up, and it will stop straight as an arrow. Panic stop one or two times, and it goes back to pulling. So then they get adjusted again.

[bmorgil]

Also keep in mind this is a very primitive, undersized and non redundant brake system. I wonder if anyone has ever gotten the stock 9" original drum setup to "Lock up" on dry pavement. A panic stop in mine is a panic stop. My Anti-Lock brakes on my truck will put your eye out. The "Anti-Brakes" on peeJ, definitely will not! Maybe some of the guys will pipe in here and share some experience with the 9" drums.

[56willys]

I know on my cj5 with 9 inch brakes. It actually stops pretty decently. Although I haven't had a deer or toryota pull out in front of me yet. When that happens I might change mind! But just normal driving they stop fine, actually most of the time I start slowing/downshifting way earlier then I need to, then have to roll a ways. But will the brakes lock up on pavement? NO! In the yard I can lock them up and skid about five feet. But on the road it doesn't even try. Granted I have much wider tires then stock. And I agree with Gm, getting it to stop without pulling is a pain. It seems no matter what I do it pulls to one side, then the other depending on the adjustment.

[gmwillys]

Not on pavement. I know I locked up the rear 11" drum brakes on the wagon, thirty years ago when a car pulled out in front of me. They were way too close, so I locked up the brakes for a brief moment, then dropped a gear and went through the ditch to avoid them. The ditch was fairly shallow, so it was more tall grass, so all was good. When the 2A brakes are adjusted just right, it will come awfully close to locking them up, but without just standing on them until it fully stops the tire on pavement hasn't been big on my list of things to try with good tires on. I'm cheap, so I'd hate to flat spot the BFG all terrains.