a bad day indeed

Discussion in 'Ranchero Tech Help' started by mickgalvin, Jan 13, 2005.

  1. mickgalvin

    mickgalvin Guest

    over tightned aluminium bolts on wheels and went to adjust rear brakes and they are all stuck, even with an air powered butterfly. Tried with wd40 and an air chisel finally - still no luck.

    i am tearing my hair out here - i do not want to lose my rims!
     
  2. Rancherous

    Rancherous Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    8,715
    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Are you trying to get the lugs off? If so you can beat the next size smallest socket on it and it will come off. I had to do this one time when I lost a key for a lug lock.
     
  3. Torrance00

    Torrance00 In Fourth Gear

    Messages:
    271
    Location:
    Torrance, Calif
    Sorry about your problem, but what does adjusting
    the brakes have to do with removing the "lug nuts"
    Ranchero.us is asking if you have a locking
    lug nut, do you and is this your problem..
    your best bet it to get a breaker bar, then
    get some pipe , my 24" long to fig over the
    breaker bar handle, this will break any lug nut
    off a car, either by placing it verticaland
    pulling on it or place horizontally and standing
    on it.
    think you will find the lug nuts are chrome
    plated steel, as you don't want to mix metals
    ...
    Best
     
  4. Rancherous

    Rancherous Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    8,715
    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Please expand Mick
     
  5. mickgalvin

    mickgalvin Guest

    mine is a 72 chero gt with drums on the rear. in order to adjust them you have to tighten the spring thingy (tech language!) between the brake shoes at the bottom of the circle. To get at this you have to remove the wheel and the plate backing it. torrance, am i missing something here?

    the lug nuts were put on before I bought the car and were some kind of cheap alloy that stripped out when the powertool was used.

    but success! It took me 3 hours but I drilled it out and have now replaced all nuts!
     
  6. Pam's Red 66

    Pam's Red 66 Guest

    You mean the starwheel. There should be an oblong hole in the backing plate with a neoprene plug. You take the plug out and use the access hole to put an adjuster in (or a screwdriver) and push the adjuster lever off the starwheel. Using your adjuster you rotate the starwheel until it forces the shoes to the drum, then you back it off. This should be done automatically because you have self-adjusting brakes. If it doesn't you need to break those lugnuts off and do a brake job.
    Pam
    If the access hole hasn't been punched out, you need to do that. Then remove the drum to get the little piece out of it.
     
  7. D.B. Roberts

    D.B. Roberts In Overdrive

    Messages:
    579
    Location:
    Federal Way, Washington
    Very good explanation Pam! :D :D :D
     
  8. Torrance00

    Torrance00 In Fourth Gear

    Messages:
    271
    Location:
    Torrance, Calif
    Pams Red is right, on the back side of the brake
    drum you'll find either an open hole or a rubber
    plug, if need to remove the plug.. and you can see
    and feel the star wheel..
    its nice to have the brake adjustment tool
    when working on the star wheel..
    make sure you keep the wheel\tire on the
    car, jack the car up...put tranny in neutral...
    pull out the parking brake maybe 2 clicks\notches..
    then adjust the star wheel until the tire is stopped
    from moving... release the hand brake, and try and
    turn the tire..back off the star wheel until
    the tire turns, but not to freely.. you have to
    do both sides...
    also remember that these are self adjusting
    brakes, and while backing up you pump the
    brake pedal they will set them selfs..
    now for the lug nuts... aftermaket wheels and
    special factory wheels usually have a steel
    lug nut with a chrome cover... these breake,
    crack, round off...
    that is what probably happen with your lugs..
    Best
     
  9. mickgalvin

    mickgalvin Guest

    damn these are good explanations, I am as I type about to print it out and bring it with me to the garage at my friends where we are working on the car tomorrow.

    later guys

    mick
     
  10. Jeff

    Jeff Guest

    Hey Mick, The brakes are self adjusting, you use the starwheel to get them close. To make the brakes adjust themselves, all you do is apply the brakes while backing up. Sometimes you can hear them rattle thats the "lockplate" over the starwheel forcing the wheel to turn to get the brake shoes where they are suppose to be.
    Jeff
     
  11. Jeff

    Jeff Guest

    OOPPS Hey I just wrote what Torrance said. I did think I heard a echo while I was typing that!!!!
    Jeff LOL
     
  12. mickgalvin

    mickgalvin Guest

    thanks guys, with your help got the brakes fixed today!
     

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