Datsun Roadster Forum-311s.org

So I got my recently turned and powder coated rear drums back yesterday and decided to install them today. The old ones were waaaaay oversized so I'm hoping these new ones will help with my poor braking performance.

I got everything installed and moved on to adjusting the brakes. According to the "Rear Brakes" tech section, I should turn the adjuster until the wheel stops, then back off 2 to 3 turns. Does this mean I need to turn the adjuster until I cannot rotate the wheel by hand anymore, then back the adjuster off 2 to 3 complete rotations (720* to 1080*)? Or, 2 to 3 clicks which would equate to 180* to 270*?

What I ended up doing was turning the adjuster until I got a slight drag, then gave it one more click for good measure. With the car jacked up if I spin the tire by hand and let go, it will continue to rotate 1/4 to 1/2 of a revolution. Does this sound about right or is it too tight?

Thanks!

That is probably too tight. You don't want it to drag.

I do testing with mine to determine the best setting. Do some heavy braking from 30 mph. Gradually take it to the point of lockup. If the rears lock up way before the front then you can back off the adjuster a little.

I'm pretty sure the tech article means clicks.

Dave,

With all new gear, your adjustment sounds close. If there is the slightest drag (the half rotation), it will probably wear-in within a week as the new pads will have edges and such that will wear off quickly. If after a week, you still have drag, release one click. But I will bet you will find that you need to tighten one click...

Running with the adjuster purposely loose will cause your brake pads to wear unevenly and you will not get all the possible mileage from them. The front to rear balance is controlled via the relationship of the piston sizes, the adjuster is solely for pad adjustment.

TR

Thanks guys. I think I'll back the adjuster off a click or two and see how the pedal feels. All I need is this lousy rain to stop long enough for me to get a test drive. Ah well, maybe tomorrow!

If you can, test drive it on a wet road. If it's going to lock the back wheels, that's when it will happen. Adjustment has some effect on brake balance, but not very much.

Great tip, Dave! I took the car out on damp roads this morning and for the first time ever, was able to lock up the brakes! I pressed the brake pedal in very firmly, though not quite as hard as one would in a "panic stop" and got the fronts to chirp. I did a few more, slightly less aggressive, stops and came to the conclusion that the brakes are now 100% better than before. I can actually drive like a normal person and not worry about anticipating stop lights 3 blocks away!

After the testing, I drove around town for 10 minutes. Just normal in town 35 mph and under driving. Nothing fancy. I did notice that the car now pulls a bit to the right. I remember that one of the front pads on the right was a bit sticky going in on install and thought it may be dragging a bit.

When I got home I did a quick touch of the drums and rotors with my fingertip. The rear drums were warm but not hot. The front rotors on the other hand were pretty toasty. Too hot to touch for more than 1/2 a second. Is it normal for the fronts to heat up that much from a couple quick stops then 10 minutes of around town driving? Thinking the fronts were dragging, I jacked the car up and spun both front tires. I can get a good 10 rotations out of the front tires after I stop turning them. I can hear the pads just barely skimming along on the rotor. Soooo, the fronts don't seem to be dragging. That much heat must be normal then? And how about the pull to the right? Could a hanging rear shoe cause you to pull to one side?

The pull can be alot of things, from the rotor condition to tire pressure to brake balance. If you just lift your foot off the gas, does it also drift right? You can try using just the emergency brake, make sure you have plenty of room and keep the release button pushed. If the car veers to the right with the emergency brake only, then it might be a left/right balance problem. The car will pull to the stronger brake or the lower tire pressure.

On the front brakes, one of the 4 pads or caliper pistons might not be moving as wellas the other three. You should be able to check that visually. Check the left side first.

It could also be the crown (arch) of the road. Try again in a nice flat parking lot. If it's wet, try to lock all 4 wheels and see if one doesn't lock.

Dave wrote: I can actually drive like a normal person and not worry about anticipating stop lights 3 blocks away!

As my father-in-law (Mister Jury Rig It) would say, "Where's the challenge in that?"

If you can't guess, we argued quite a bit.

Glad to hear your brakes are working. Someday I hope to post the same.

Here is another thought. The road may have more of a "crown" than you are used to. In areas where there is a lot of precip, the roads are built higher in the center to aid in the flow of rain off the road. I would suspect that the roads where you had the car aligned last did not have that much of a crown. It makes a difference in the alignments.

Sorry guys, I should have been much more descriptive!

The pulling to the right was happening at all times, not just under braking. I checked tire pressure and all 4 were at exactly 21 Psi. I filled them all up to 32 Psi and went for a drive. Pulling cured. I figure I must have some worn steering components that show themselves when the tire pressure is low.

As for the hot front brakes, I took a 2 mile loop around my neighborhood. All arterial streets with 30 to 40 Mph speed limits. I used the brake pedal once when backing out of my driveway. After that, all stopping (only got caught at 1 light) was done with the e-brake and downshifting. Upon getting home, the front right rotor was cold to the touch and the front left was maybe room temp. So, all those hard stops I did the other day must have heated the rotors up enough that a 10 minute drive didn't cool them off.

It looks like everything is good and normal now. I'm going to go enjoy the warm evening and the roadster and take a spin up to the ice-cream stand!

See ya!

Dave wrote: I'm going to go enjoy the warm evening and the roadster and take a spin up to the ice-cream stand!

See ya!

With your pretty beastie, maybe some eye candy, too. Wink! Wink! Nudge! Nudge!

Say no more!

Uh-oh...Sounds like we can bore the hell out of everyone if we get drunk together, Dave. How's your Red Dwarf and/or Firesign Theatre?

Lacking on those two, but I know the entire script from Ferris Buehler, Hollywood Knights and the Blues Brothers, and can recite the small print on a Budwieser bottle from memory.

I can make a hat, a broach or a Pteradactyl!!!

Thank you, I'll be here all week (rimshot)

dbrick wrote:I can make a hat, a broach or a Pteradactyl!!!

One of my all-time favorite movies. Now . . . "Assume crash positions!"