Brake Adjustment

1965 CJ5

Hello! I believe that my back left wheel cylinder is leaking brake fluid, so I’ve been trying to remove the drum to get to it. I spent a while hitting it with a hammer to break it loose, but I was told that I should first loosen the brakes by rotating the star wheel. Supposedly there’s a rubber plug on the back that i have to remove to reach it, but I can’t seem to find the plug. I figured that even if this isn’t the cause for the stuck drum it’s still a good thing to know. How do I find and access the star wheel to loosen the brakes?

Apologies in advance, I’m still very new to this hobby and do not have much knowledge. Excited to learn! Thank you all

 

Chances are the plug has fallen out or gotten lost. There should be a oval shaped hole on the lower half of the backing plate. Shine a flashlight in the hole and you will see the adjuster, looks like a small gear with the teeth facing you. Just rotate the star wheel with a small flat blade screw driver untill the shoes loosen up. Might need to lube the adjuster if it doesn't move easily.

 

Welcome from Michigan, What Supertrooper says, the hole should be at the bottom of the backing plate at 6:00 o'clock position, looking in there you should see a star wheel, with a brake tool or a screwdriver, you can turn that star wheel to loosen up the brakes so the brake drum can be released. The brake shoes can be rusted to the drum, so it may take a little pounding on the drum to get then to release. Good Luck.

 

Make sure there aren't any screws holding the drum to the flange on the axle shaft. If it is still stuck Once adjusted away and no screws there might be rust on the center of the flange or the wheel studs that will need cleaned and sprayed. If nothing else take a picture and post it and someone might have another idea.

 

now I have a question
wouldn't a 65 have 9 inch brakes with eccentric adjusters

 

Buy a Factory Service Manual or we kill the dog.

 

And are we sure this isn't a tapered axle?

 

You need a hub puller to remove the drums. Do not use a 3 jaw on the drum. Its held on by a taper with over 200ft/lbs make sure you put the key back in the right way when putting it back on.

 

Beg to differ. Drum and hub are a unit on some Earlies, IIRC.

 

Yep, the rear drums on my '69 are swedged to the hub. When the factory put the drums on, they pressed ridges down from the lug studs onto the drum holding it in place. You either need to get a hub puller and pull the whole hub/drum assembly or buy a swedge cutter like this one: Brake Drum Swedge Cutting Tool to remove the swedges. You'll destroy the drum if you try to pull it over the swedges.

 

I've never understood the reason for factory swedging the drums to the hubs. Or even for the screws holding the drums.

 

Makes sense. Although one screw might have sufficed? Old school engineeering...today they'd use a plastic zip-tie.

 

Many cars still use screws to hold drums and rotors on. They say its to hold them on while on the assembly line and get them in perfect alignment.

 

And yet many cars don't seem to need them.

 

well most cars dont seem to need left hand wheel studs either. Engineers with a better idea