Primary shoe? This looks backwards.

[WarWagon]

My understanding is that the thicker shoe goes on the front of the brake assembly. Driver's side shown with PO's hammered in and damaged seal. Looks backwards to me as thicker shoe is in the back.

Any tips on adjusting the brakes up? I suppose adjusting every oil change.

 

[diesel65]

If this is the drivers side brake assembly then the shoes are correct. Don't go by the thickness of the friction material, go by the length of the friction material. The primary shoe is always the shorter of the two.
There are vehicles where the shoe will be equal length, but they work differently.

 

[btfarm]

X2. The shorter shoe is always the primary and goes to the front.

 

[Acesneights1]

brakes should be self adj but if you don't use the parking brake, they won't self adj IIRC.

 

[iamdave0887]

i believe they self-adjust when in reverse as well.

They can be manually adjusted via the ratcheting star wheel at the base of both shoes. That wheel will push the shoes outward at the base to adjust them.

 

[diesel65]

Setting the parking brake does not adjust the shoes, applying the service brakes while backing up causes the shoes to shift which in turn allows the arm to rotate the star wheel.
It called servo action.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

brakes should be self adj but if you don't use the parking brake, they won't self adj IIRC.

Setting the parking brake does not adjust the shoes, applying the service brakes while backing up causes the shoes to shift which in turn allows the arm to rotate the star wheel.
It called servo action.

Your both right actually. Earlier GM's adhusted with the parking brake as the adjuster was part of the parking brake apply mechanism. The later ones(about 91+) only adjust in reverse with HEAVY application. The self adjusters that GM used suck IMHO.

 

[WarWagon]

Thick and thin is the only difference. Friction length is the same.

Self adjusters don't. How often do you tighten them up and how tight? I am used to 1/2 tons... So the star wheel through the back and spinning the tire is the only way I guess.

 

[Mudbath]

Have you checked both sides? I have seen both primaries put on one side and both secondaries put on the other side. Primaries are usually made of a bit softer (shorter/thinner) material to grab the drum and throw the secondary shoe into the drum which is harder (longer/thicker) material, to do the most braking.

 

[THEFERMANATOR]

I would say roughly 98% of drum brakes since the 70's have used a shorter shoe on the front side and the longer friction on the back. The rear shoe tends to stay thicker over time as the front shoe is the one doing all the work digging in and stoping.

 

[540s10]

if the brakes are working properly the shoes should wear the same, the thicker shoe should be the front (new) more material sheds off the front because its being pulled into the drum.

 

[Missy Good Wench]

I would pop the other side off and see if the PO got things mixed up and used both the longs and the shirts as pairs.

Shorter lining always goes to the front side.

Missy