Chevy Van Drum Brake Question

[DenaC]

Hello all,
This is my first question on this forum. Glad to have found you.

I've got a 1990 Chevy G20 Van and I'm replacing the rear brake shoes. (Drums, not calipers) To make a very long story short, didn't pay quite enough attention to how those came off. I have one manual that says the actuator lever and the parking brake lever are attached to the same shoe. Then on the very next page there is a photo showing them on opposite shoes. Can anyone clarify or send me a link on where to find this info? Any help would be much appreciated.

Dena

[Bronco2]

Don't worry to much about the pic.-look at the cable-that has to go in line with the lever. Most GMs have the parking brake cable mounted in the front of the backing plate,attaching to the back brake shoe.Hope this helps,call back if you need more info.

[DenaC]

Thanks for the reply. On the driver side, the cable lines up so the emergency brake lever is on the rear shoe. On the passenger side, the lever must go on the front shoe to line up the cable. I know that sounds funny, but that seems to be the only way it will work. Do the adjuster levers go on the same sides as the emergency actuators? It seems they would, but I've got one photo in a manual showing them on opposite sides.

The Chevys I've worked on before have had these at the back shoe, just like you said. This one is throwing me. I normally pay more attention to how things come apart, but I've got someone helping me who took both sides apart first without paying enough attention. To top that off, had to buy a new cylinder because one was leaking. Autozone kept trying to sell me the wrong stuff. So not sure if this is a "typical" application.

[Bronco2]

I seem to have a fuzzy memory of seeing this before-I think you may have a Spicer rear in the van,which was usually found in 1 ton models. If the hold down hardware is a hooked metal pin with a odd looking kinda 90 degree spring then you have a Spicer. I think the adjusting hardware gos on the rear shoe. You may want to try reposting this,maybe somebody else can help more.