Help with drum brakes loosening after a week

[chrisofknives]

I recently replaced the shoes on my 2008 liftback and the breaks were great for about a week after we changed the shoes. Gradually throughout that first week, the e brake, and brake pedal both loosened up, to the point of the ebrake not catching the back wheels at all, and I had to put a cinder block behind my back wheel in my sloped driveway.

We jacked it up again, and tightened up the star wheel, made sure the wheel only made one rotation after adjusting, and everything seemed fine...same issues after a week again. It gradually becomes more loose. Any ideas? Break fluid is good. No leaks. Not sure what to do...

[ex-x-fire]

Did you mix up the LR & RR adjusters?

[chrisofknives]

Originally Posted by ex-x-fire

Did you mix up the LR & RR adjusters?

Did one side at a time.

[ex-x-fire]

Make sure the adjusting lever arm is keeping the wheel from turning down. It only allows it to turn one way.

[chrisofknives]

Originally Posted by ex-x-fire

Make sure the adjusting lever arm is keeping the wheel from turning down. It only allows it to turn one way.

Ok thanks, I will take a look at it this weekend. Is it easy to screw that up when putting everything back together? I feel like we triple checked everything with our pictures that we took before doing the work.

[Yaristeve]

IIRC correctly, most automatic adjusters spin the adjuster wheel when applying the brake in reverse. Perhaps try braking a number of times in reverse and see if that tightens the brakes up?

[chrisofknives]

Originally Posted by Yaristeve

IIRC correctly, most automatic adjusters spin the adjuster wheel when applying the brake in reverse. Perhaps try braking a number of times in reverse and see if that tightens the brakes up?

That was the first thing I tried. No dice.

[Yaristeve]

Originally Posted by chrisofknives

That was the first thing I tried. No dice.

I should of figured that; just looking for low hanging fruit.

[ex-x-fire]

Is there a solid "click" when you turn the adjuster?

[chrisofknives]

Originally Posted by ex-x-fire

Is there a solid "click" when you turn the adjuster?

I have to look at it this weekend, if there isn't a click what could be wrong?

[ex-x-fire]

Look at the picture I put up, the automatic adjusting lever is what clicks on the adjuster wheel. Look for problems there, is the arm bent, spring missing, installed wrong?

[chrisofknives]

Originally Posted by ex-x-fire

Look at the picture I put up, the automatic adjusting lever is what clicks on the adjuster wheel. Look for problems there, is the arm bent, spring missing, installed wrong?

Ended up going to the dealer due to weather and my friend being out of town to use his garage. Turns out we must have put something back together just a little bit off. Adjuster arm was not hitting the star wheel right, and was allowing it to back off. Still came out on top after paying them $50. Cost me roughly $130 to do it myself versus the $250-$300 they wanted.