brake shoes!!

i just changed the driver side front brake shoes, i put it all on right, pressed the brake to make sure it worked and all, and then i tried to slide the drum on and it went halfway and was really tight, the star adjuster is all the way in, i ended up banging the drum on and so its on there great and all but its really tight, is that ok? the old ones had like no pad left on them so the drum came right off, these ones are very meaty ;p can i just drive it and let it wear loose to where it needs to be? or did i screw something up?

Be careful if you want to press the brake pedal without having the drums on. You could end up pushing the wheel cylinder cups out making a big mess. I would only do this if I was watching the shoes while a partner slowly pressed the pedal. Also I would make sure to have the drum ON the other side that I could not see.

Make sure your springs are installed properly and the shoes really are seated all the way back on the pins. Double check that star adjuster. You did take it apart, clean and relube it, didn't you? If all is correct and you can spin the wheel by hand, it's not too tight. If it is still too tight (unlikely) you could always have a small amount cut off the drum. I'm sure you know this but you have to change BOTH sides.

why didnt you change both sides?

well this happened on the first side i did, so i stopped and didnt do the other side, i dont see the shoes possibly getting any closer together.

oooh i see

Look at the anchor (round thing) at the top of the backing plate. If the shoes aren't tight against it, something is wrong. With the pedal being pressed with the drum off, you may have overextended the pistons inside the wheel cylinder. You should open the top of the master and try to push them back in, only if you have no leakage. Also make sure that the little things that go between the wheel cylinder and rectangular cutout on the shoes are in the right place.

Did you put the shoes in right? The set comes with a pair of longer show material and a pair with it shorter. The longer ones are usually darker and go on the rear of the backing plates. They may be a tad thicker as well.

Bob