Grand am rear drums adjusting to tight? (Page 1/1)
oldrock2401 NOV 20, 02:22 PM
I have a 97 gt and changed out the springs, drums, and shoes...a little while after that my rear brakes kept locking up. I can feel when Im going slow that the rears are grabbing way before the fronts start. When it rains it takes a good 3x what it should because if press to hard the rears will just lock up and I will slide. It has self adjusters so Im stumped.

The front brakes are also brand new, did the rotors and pads...the entire system has been bled multiple times just incase that was it.

What could be causing that problem? A shop told me it was my abs pump...opinions please.
jaskispyder NOV 20, 04:04 PM
Did you check to make sure your wheel cylinders (the part that pushed the shoes out) is good and not leaking/wet? I had them lock up on my corsica and it turns out they were leaking just a little. Also, rust/corrosion will cause problems, along with brake dust.
Monkeyman NOV 21, 06:26 AM
When's the last time you used your parking brake? That's how the rear drums "self adjust" on those. I had an '96 GAGT that did the same thing although mine was a flood car so that might have had something to do with it, too. There's a toothed wheel inside the drum accessed by a hole (from the back, maybe?) that will adjust the brakes manually although it's usually seized up. Also, when you changed out the brake shoes, you got the right ones on the right sides, right? Both tops are the same as are both bottoms but they're close enough that you can end up with both tops on the same side and both bottoms on the other side.
fastblack NOV 29, 12:44 AM
My 97 GAGT does the exact same thing after new rear brakes. I pretty much just live with it cause it's just my daily beater (maybe mine isn't as bad as yours). Someone along the line once told me to occasionally roll the car back in reverse and pin the brakes..."resets" them or something. Seems to help but I'm sure it's just in my head.
Monkeyman NOV 29, 04:51 AM
Driving backwards and applying the PARKING brake is what adjusts them. Not just hitting the foot brake.
fastblack NOV 29, 11:10 AM

quote
Originally posted by Monkeyman:

Driving backwards and applying the PARKING brake is what adjusts them. Not just hitting the foot brake.



Ahhhhhhh, makes sense now that I think about it
nmw75 NOV 29, 11:11 AM
We had a 98 GA & it had that same problem. It was the proportioning valve.... I lived with it due to the expense to replace it.

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86 GT
87 coupe restoration project.