drum brake question

A while back i changed my rear drums in my 94cavi. I just went in and adjusted them maybe a month or 2 ago because they were acting kind of funny, i just spun the adjustment wheel all the way to make them real loose because my car has this problem where the back brakes tend to glaze over. (pretty much everytime i take it to a mechanic it turns out that way) so i just do it myself now. so i made them real loose, sanded off them down alittle bit and called it a day. after that though everything works pretty well.

since i adjusted them though, my back passenger brake seems to stick when i push it down. I havent had a chance to take off the drum and look at it yet but, say i come to a stop sign or something. Ill come to a complete stop, when i try to just ease through it that back passenger brake doesnt let loose it stays firm on the drum and i go no where when i back off the brake pedal. When i step on the gas alittle, you feel a kick coming from that back end and then it runs fine. Im assuming the shoe is sticking to the drum somehow, but i dont know why or how.

I hoep you guys can help, im probably going to take a look at it in a few days.

Thanks again,
Dan McN

There is a small square spring on the cross bar that breaks on these cars. I have an 89 and a 94. Both have broken and did this. The bar goes across from one shoe to the other on the top of the axle. I forget the actual name. Good Luck.

Have you replaced the wheel cylinders ? My rears were acting similar on my '90. I replaced the wheel cylinders ($11 each at NAPA). I bled the lines, adjusted them and now they work great.


A while back i changed my rear drums in my 94cavi. I just went in and adjusted them maybe a month or 2 ago because they were acting kind of funny, i just spun the adjustment wheel all the way to make them real loose because my car has this problem where the back brakes tend to glaze over. (pretty much everytime i take it to a mechanic it turns out that way) so i just do it myself now. so i made them real loose, sanded off them down alittle bit and called it a day. after that though everything works pretty well.

since i adjusted them though, my back passenger brake seems to stick when i push it down. I havent had a chance to take off the drum and look at it yet but, say i come to a stop sign or something. Ill come to a complete stop, when i try to just ease through it that back passenger brake doesnt let loose it stays firm on the drum and i go no where when i back off the brake pedal. When i step on the gas alittle, you feel a kick coming from that back end and then it runs fine. Im assuming the shoe is sticking to the drum somehow, but i dont know why or how.

I hoep you guys can help, im probably going to take a look at it in a few days.

Thanks again,
Dan McN