Really REALLY soft brakes and inoperative parking brake, just replaced a bunch of stuff

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Masospaghetti - 02 Jan 2007 17:46 GMT

I just overhauled my rear drum brakes and now the car's brakes are
almost inoperable. The brake pedal goes all the way to the floor and
offers very little stopping power, and the parking brake does nothing at
all. I've tried adjusting the parking brake with no luck. I can see the
cable moving the brakes.

I replaced the shoes, all hardware, and the wheel cylinders. I'm
guessing i need to bleed the brakes now? And do I need to adjust the
brakes, or will they adjust themselves?

Thanks
-J

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Scrapper - 02 Jan 2007 18:16 GMT

sounds like you got a bunch of air in them when you replace wheel
cylenders...so bleed both rear brakes and really wouldn't hurt to bleed
front either..but but you defantly got air in rear brakes still.....

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N8N - 02 Jan 2007 18:45 GMT

> I just overhauled my rear drum brakes and now the car's brakes are
> almost inoperable. The brake pedal goes all the way to the floor and
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> I replaced the shoes, all hardware, and the wheel cylinders. I'm
> guessing i need to bleed the brakes now?

If you haven't yet, then yes.

> And do I need to adjust the
> brakes, or will they adjust themselves?
>
> Thanks
> -J

I don't trust self adjusters. I would adjust the brakes manually.

nate

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Nate Nagel - 02 Jan 2007 22:48 GMT

>>I just overhauled my rear drum brakes and now the car's brakes are
>>almost inoperable. The brake pedal goes all the way to the floor and
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> nate

forgot to mention, disconnect the e-brake entirely before adjusting the
brakes. then loosen the e-brake adjustment before reconnecting, and
then adjust the e-brake per the book. the reason I suggest this is you
don't want a too-tight e-brake adjustment messing with your star wheel
adjustment.

nate

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AZ Nomad - 02 Jan 2007 18:46 GMT

>I just overhauled my rear drum brakes and now the car's brakes are
>almost inoperable. The brake pedal goes all the way to the floor and
>offers very little stopping power, and the parking brake does nothing at
>all. I've tried adjusting the parking brake with no luck. I can see the
>cable moving the brakes.

>I replaced the shoes, all hardware, and the wheel cylinders. I'm
>guessing i need to bleed the brakes now? And do I need to adjust the
>brakes, or will they adjust themselves?

yes

Why don't you post the year, make and model? Or do you have the insane
notion that every car ever made is exactly the same?

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Tegger - 02 Jan 2007 23:02 GMT

Masospaghetti <no@mail.gatech.edu> wrote in news:ene5q1$npu$1@news-
int2.gatech.edu:

> I just overhauled my rear drum brakes and now the car's brakes are
> almost inoperable. The brake pedal goes all the way to the floor and
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> I replaced the shoes, all hardware, and the wheel cylinders.

You replaced the wheel cylinders and you haven't bled the brakes? If so,
then you've got a *ton* of air in the lines.

> I'm guessing i need to bleed the brakes now?

If the above is true, then absolutely!

> And do I need to adjust the
> brakes, or will they adjust themselves?

Besides manual take-up adjustment by clicking the star-wheel over with a
screwdriver...some brakes adjust only when you step on the pedal while
moving backwards, others adjust using the parking brake.

What kind of car have you got?

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Tegger

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