Thanks all,
I do think the answer will be simple - once I find it. Another head slap, probably.
The cable also needs to sit in the recess of the cam at the center of the shoe, that is held in place by the return spring. That cam also needs to sit flat against the shoe. If it is out of position, it effects the position the lever rests in. The cable end also needs to be fully seated in the lever, and the lever has to be fully seated in the grove in the pivot stud.
I have been doing drum brakes for 45 years, both personally and professionally and I have only had to bend the adjusting lever a dozen or so times in all those years. Most of those times have been replacement parts, and many were more recent. New parts these days leave a lot to be desired. Gene
Thanks, Gene, everything you wrote makes sense.
This gets at the root of the problem - the curved plate you are calling a cam - that's the part that is held in place by sitting in a hole on the brake shoe gusset (and its held there by the return spring)... that hole in the gusset is punched by whoever makes the shoe - which is a replacement part that could have been produced with the hole in the wrong place, making the cable the wrong length (and then the whole production batch would have been wrong, so thousands would have the same problem)... or it's remotely possible I have swapped the shoes front/rear, but I'll see that once I open it up..
In short, I'll scrutinize everything you wrote here. I'll share some pictures here too.. I had to put it back into storage for a week to take care of another car issue..
Good times.
- Art
