87 GN self adjusting rear brakes-do they work?

[copo]

Guys, I just finished doing the front and rear brakes on my 87 GN along with 2 new rear emerg brake cables.

Do the rear brake adjusters really work when you backup?

I went to an empty parking lot and did a few backups hitting the brakes lightly. How fast and how hard should you put the brakes on for the self adjustors to work?

Why I ask is because I set the emerg brake pedal to 3 clicks to stop the drums from turning by hand while on jack stands. But when I sit on the driveway, I need to go 1/2 way down before the emerg brake stops the car. Should I tighten the nut on the emerg cable metal holder or remove the drums and adjust the shoes closer to the drums using the star wheel? And, Yes, before I put the drums back on I turned the star wheel just to the point where the drums would slip on and not bind going on.

 

[zeus87gn]

Sounds like you have them adjusted just right to me.

FYI, I adjust rear durms by the following:

Start backing up...get moving a little...stop quickly, maybe even enough to make the front wheels lock up...move forward and stop normally. Repeat if desired.

Sometimes I hear them click when I stomp the pedal backing up.

 

[copo]

Thx, To me you need more clicks than the 2 clicks Chilton specifies so the cable moves in and out of the plastic conduit with a longer travel so it doesn't bind after years of use.

 

[zeus87gn]

Don't forget, you are looking at a relative setting.

2 or 3 clicks when moving the drum by hand -vs- half way down to the floor in pedal travel with the wheels on the ground. Totally different application of force between the two.

When the pedal goes half way to the floor, the cable is moving quite a bit.

 

[salvageV6]

From my experience the self-adjusters only work if all the brake dust is out of the threads and they are packed with never seize or some other good lubricant for the purpose.

Not overpacked either that may hinder stopping ability.

I have never adjusted the emergency brake cabling so no comment on that subject.