Brakes 85 CJ7 Parking Brake

[Molotov]

I rebuilt an 85 CJ7 new frame up. The brake system in the rear is completely new minus the backing plate.
It had no parking brake, I have replaced everything. I have adjusted the adjuster until the tire drags, then backed off one revolution.
I’ve tried adjusting the parking brakes, but they don’t hold and the cable is so tight that I have little parking brake pedal left.
What am I missing?

 

[Molotov]

Just wanted to thank everyone with the outpouring of support and the amazing number of responses to my problem.
i fixed it.

 

[mdeluca]

Just wanted to thank everyone with the outpouring of support and the amazing number of responses to my problem.
I fixed it.

I'd say most members here have, over the past couple of weeks, been having a hard time getting onto the site even to make a post. The forum has gone through a complete rebuild and getting logged on has been difficult.

Don't be too hard with your judgment. This is a very helpful community and hopefully, will be getting back to normal soon.

I'm wondering if you will share what you did to fix the problem with your parking brake.

 

[Belizean]

100 % we have probably lost 90-95 % of traffic

 

[RangerRick]

Yes, the website has taken a huge hit with dead links, missing pictures, trouble logging in and all kinds of stuff so that is contributing to the lack of responses. I will try to help the OP on the rear brakes, see below as I have swapped in a narrowed Explorer 8.8 with disc brakes in my CJ and the brakes work better than they have since the Jeep was brand new in 1985! One of the best mods I have done was get rid of that AMC20 corporate and upgrade to 4-wheel disc brakes. The 8.8 parking brakes are mini shoes inside the rotor hat so they need adjustment periodically, however they don't get wear and usually last the life of the vehicle unless forgetting and driving around a lot with the parking brake set on! I used the original Jeep equalizer and cable to the floor pedal but connected the original Ford 8.8 cables to that equalizer so it's kind of similar but not.

I think the factory shoes and hardware went on one direction as I recall, and were supposed to be semi "self adjusting" but they never worked that great for me and huge grooves were worn in the backing plates from the shoes rubbing at the contact points. I welded the grooves up and filed those pads down at least twice in the life of that axle prior to replacement. There are two adjustments, 1st is at the star adjuster in the drum and the second is at the equalizer on the drivers side frame rail. Adjust the shoes till they drag then set the parking brake several times hard and release. Then drive the Jeep and use the brakes slowing from 30ish to stop several times to bed the shoes in. I also back up several times and brake from like 5-10MPH down to stop in reverse. Then I go forward to like 25-30ish several more times to a stop. After all that I take it back to the garage and check for parking brake height and wheel drag on the drums. Slight drag to make sure they are close and the parking brake should only depress 4 to 6 "clicks" before holding firm. I have found I am able to put the Jeep in gear on an automatic at idle and it will hold without moving. Step on the accelerator a bit then it starts to move but you can obviously feel the parking brake drag.

If you have replaced the rear shoes or messed with replacement hardware, make sure that you've put a small dab of anti-seize or white lithium grease on each of the backing plate pads. It also helps to coat the star adjuster with anti-seize or white lithium grease to aid in it not becoming stuck or seized up. This all assumes the hardware was replaced in the proper position as originally installed. Also it is harder to remove and re-install the drum if it is not turned to get rid of the wear lip that can form on the outside edge of the drum's braking surface.
Photo of CJ drum brakes courtesy of: Mike Scott's blog
I tried to post a picture of the assembled drum brake with shoes and all the hardware in position from the above aformentioned picture but the server came back with a "can't write to the server error" so I just posted the above link you can open and look at the brakes without any axle hub in the way as his hub broke off the shaft and there is a clear view of the hardware in position right there to see. I think it is the "LEFT HAND SIDE" from Scott's blog post.

RR

 

[Molotov]

i have been messing with the brakes for awhile. I had the neighborhood mechanic look at it and he said I needed new shoes.
Last week a friend/ former mechanic looked at them. The shoes were on backwards with the primary shoe on the rear. The spreader bar also had too much clearance between the shoes (in the slots). When the brake was pulled, the spreader bar would just start to engage the rear shoe at max travel.
we added a bead of weld about 1/8 inch, smoothed, and this allowed the spreader bar to actually spread the shoes to work.
Rebuilding this Jeep from the ground up has thought me that most parts are Chinese, and there is little/ no QA process from the manufacturer or the companies that are selling the parts.

 

[Belizean]

Chinee parts can be some of the worst, but there are other countries also making them Bought some tie rod ends a few weeks ago from napa, one side was USA made and the other side was turkey You just have to look around some