I just did my rear brakes and now I cannot get my drums back on. The amount that is needed to get them on is minimal. Maybe an 1/8 of an inch... Yes the bottom adjuster is all the way back in and what not. Any ideas as to what I could be doing wrong? Oh I also replaced the wheel cylinders...all that I can think of is the air in the new cylinders is keeping the shoes from collapsing all the way and tomorrow im going to open the lines and try forcing them together...however anything anyone else has to add would be appreciated so when I tackle it tomorrow I will have a few ideas...

 

OMG!! its paul!! thought u disappeared! .... wish i had some advice for the brakes. sorry. hows the tranny holding up?

 

take the cap off the master cylinder, and compress the wheel cylinder dowels all the way, either with a clamp or by hand or whatever

 

Besides what Bob said, you need to loosen your parking brake, here's how you do it.

First, get a large nail or screw about 3" or so long, and about 1/8" or so thick.

Now, open your drivers side door and squat by the vehicle.

Make sure the parking brake is OFF.

Look at the bracket for the parking brake and there is a small hole in the side of the metal on it (on the side facing the center console, lol).

Reach under the truck with a gloved hand and grab your parking brake cable and pull it towards you and down as hard as you can.

With your other hand put the nail or whatever straight through that hole. Release and pull on the cable until the nail goes straight in.

Carefully release the cable and the nail will hold the pawl. Then the tension will be released and you should be able to do it.

To minimize how long it takes you to adjust them, your drums should BARELY FIT on the shoes. Make sure you turn the adjuster to make this so.

 

Paul - In addition to what John posted, if you didn't turn the drums, there is a lip that forms and that makes it a PITA to get the drums back on.

 

I've always just gingerly used a rubber mallet on the shoes to compress them in enough to get them back on...hasn't caused me a problem...yet!

 

That's similar to what I do except I use the rubber mallet to pound the drum back on!