Just ran into similar issue with brake shoes on a Buick The shoes I bought said made in USA didn't" know USA had a state called China? Regardless your shoes are the wrong ones from what I can see Cab above is correct

could it be for whatever reason that the back of the drums are rubbing the backing plate when the lugs are tightened,take all the shoes and hardware off and install the drums anfd tighten them,see if you get some rubbing

Maybe I'm not clear about the shoes.

The original shoes were worn so I bought new ones. When they were dilivered I compared them very very closely with the new ones: put them on top of eachother, holes and everything perfectly lined up, width of the linings, lenght etc, they were exáctly the same size..11x2.5 inch.

So, put the new shoes on and then the problem of dragging started. Adjusted them many times but every time after a couple of miles the drums got hot, very hot. First only RR but later also LR.

Thén I started to replace everything as I discribed in my first post.
That didn't solve the problem so then I decided to take them to a machineshop.

The linings were glazed at some points and that was the reason to put new linings on and turn the drums.
They showed my the new liningmaterial and that were pieces of approx 20 x 4 inches. Thats why they had them made to fit to the shoes and had to file off the sides after riviting them on. So, markings on the side of the shoes explained.

As said earlier, drums can be installed spinning free, also with the lugs tight so absolutely no drag or rubbing at all but....
after several turns, with or without powered by the engine, dragging starts....

I've compared my pics, old and new, and see that the new linings are longer than the old ones, special the primary. Secundairy also, were the scuff marks are..Could that be the reason ??

It's 95 F overhere now, so the brakes have to wait now..

Back in the day when Service station here in the U.S. installed brake lining almost every garage and gas station had a brake grinding machine to taper the leading and trailing edges of the new brake shoes so they would break in properly and no tmake the centers not touch until the edges where beveled.Thye called that "Arcing" the shoes I'm wondering if the front and trailing edges are growing more then the centers when appleid making them bow up (grow) until they start rubbing, which makes them heat up and grow more
Let us know what you find to fix it, maybe run them looser for a while until they seat properly

Update:
Temperature went down here so the last days been working on the brakes again.
Rear end up. Brakes adjusted with very little drag. Put wheels on and lugs tightend. Both wheels turn free in the air BUT !! left wheel starts dragging after 20 to 30 turns backwards...turning forward again runs free.
So I thought: mostly driving forward so out for a testdrive.
Result after 10 miles with absolutely no hard braking: hot drums and wheels! (190 F). Jacked the car up and wheels turned heavy. Losened the wheel lugs a bit and wheels turned free agian ??
I'm totally stunned and don't know what to do anymore.

Shoes are arced and leading and trailing edges are tapered...

& this is with you hand turning the wheel backwards/no pedal input correct? that makes me think something is fubared with the assy on the backing plate: loose holddown springs/brake nails wrong ones (too long) sumpin ain't kosher cuz it (something) is too loose or too big or too small or installed wrong. we'll get it! (might take us awhile). when you turn backwards it is shifting something that should be secure.

The only thing I'm seeing is the upper spring hooks have been 'bent' open a bit. Maybe they lost some tension because of this and they're not able to keep the brake shoes together all the time. Just a guess and doesn't explain the tightening of the wheel nuts issue.

Also the lower green spring is in a different hole than before (left, in the pictures). I *think* to recall it should be mounted more horizontally across, to the same hole in the other brake shoe, as to provide more tension.

Wheels turned by hand and no pedal input at all..I also think that the shoes are moving or something like that. Hardware is all new and before installing compared with the old stuff, and all is the same.
Backingplate is clean and shoes move free...
Bottom spring allready placed more horizontal to create more tension.
Left the top springs open for a while to make it more easy to remove them everytime... I think I disambled the shoes more then 10 times to check everything. With the drums off and a helper pushing brakepedal I see the shoes work fine, out and retracted by the springs..

Are the primary and secondary shoes installed in the proper place?
Primary shoe is the one that goes on the front - it has the lesser amount of lining material...pictures are poor.

I had the same problem on another person's work, 69 RR 11" rear drums.

Be sure the e brake is not a contributing factor

Return spring are showing fatigue-be sure to replace them

I had similar problem on my '89 Dip Police car 11" brakes. Brand new parts, including Raybestos finned drums. It took me forever to figure out it was only when I tightened the lugs down that the drag started. I'd adjust them, put wheels back on, go for ride to get pedal feel, and as soon as I let of gas it roll to quick stop. I know you said you can spin it freely two or three times with lugs tightened; it's been a couple of years since I did the brake job, and I don't remember if mine was the same. I found a set of NOS drums on feebay (cost me 4x as much as the Raybestos off rockauto, but well worth it. Problem solved and I'll get 100k miles out of those drums (maybe more).

Sick of the aftermarket crap!

I agree on it probably being the drums. To me it is either the shoes or the drums.

maybe a silly question,
Is there any chance the adjusters are installed on the wrong sides ??
There is a L and R adjuster and while they appear the same the threads are reversed.

Only other suggestion I can think of is to disconnect the adjusters and or lock them and see if the issue goes away.

re reading your posts made me think of a few other things.

Something is causing the adjustment clearances to change.

1. possible bad axle bearings
2. Axles bent causing the drums to wobble
3. Axle flanges not flat / or true

One could try mounting the drums using either spacers, or stacked washers with lug nuts leaving the wheels off and repeating you testing with the rear end supported on jack stands.

Are the primary and secondary shoes installed in the proper place?
Primary shoe is the one that goes on the front - it has the lesser amount of lining material...pictures are unbelievably poor poor but it looks like you have two of the same shoe on each axle.

Until you verify this all other ideas from the masses are just a guess and dart board troubleshooting. Brake drum systems have been around way too long, this is a simple fix.

I see that no one comprehends that I just worked on a car with some one else's brake work that had the exact same problem...
OK then figure it out for yourselves.

Adjusters are on the correct side. Disconnected them already but no difference..


Shoes are placed correct. I agree that the new linings are longer than original, specially at the bottom.
I've replaced brakeshoes many times in the past and never had this problem before...

My first thought when reading initial post, was to release bleeder valve, or better yet 'crack' hydraulic line at wheels when they are locked. However John K. Had posted to 'crack' line at MC. I could live with that so canned that thought.

However after all you have gone thru and all the thoughts from members thrown out in this saga, what have you got to lose to give this a try.

Another thing that I would try is to take a very thin wheel spacer(say 1/8th), pull drum, place on axle, replace drum, wheel, torque down, do your testing. Does this resolve problem. If so, gives an excellent clue as to where problem lies.

I have seen the wheels pushing up against drum balance weights and deforming the drum. But you can usually see that because the wheel will wobble a little.

Finally solved the problem....
Being só sick of all this at trying to adjust the shoes with no result I ordered a new pair of shoes. This time I ordered Wagner brakeshoes. The first ones were from Raybestos.
When they came in, I compared them with the Raybestos shoes. At first sight the were exactly the same but.....when I measured them it seems that the Raybestos were 0.5 MM !! wider than the Wagner.
Anyway, put the shoes on, adjusted them, took a test drive and...No heating up at al. Brakes work perfect now.

As some members here suggested already: shoes were not good altough they lóóked OK

Thank you all for your input in this..

the offenders were a C hair wider than the correct ones. that was too easy!