Just realized I was setting brakes wrong after a guy pointed it out at a shop in Charlotte

I was in a parts shop in Charlotte last Tuesday grabbing some cables, and this older mechanic starts talking to me about brake adjustments. He said I was setting the shoe gap way too tight, and that causes heat buildup on longer runs. I thought I knew my stuff after 8 years, but he showed me a quick clearance trick with a feeler gauge that made total sense. Has anyone else had a random stranger straighten out something you thought you had dialed in?

2 comments

2 Comments

grace_allen2d ago

Gotta push back on that one a little. Running the shoes too tight on the gap can actually cause drag and heat, sure, but a lot of the old school guys swear by a tighter setup for better initial bite. A feeler gauge trick is fine for a baseline on the bench, but you really need to account for the drum being out of round or the backing plate rust. I have done it both ways over the years and a slightly closer gap that you check by feel after a test spin works way better on most cars. If you go too loose you lose pedal feel and get a spongy brake that fades way worse than a little heat. Different strokes for different driving styles I guess.

the_tessa2d ago

Haven't you ever had a drum that was just slightly out of round though? That feel method works okay on a perfect drum but most of the ones I see have a little wobble or high spot. Setting it by feel after a test spin can get you a false reading if you don't spin it slow and check the whole rotation. I always run mine a hair looser and then adjust the star wheel after a couple hard stops from the driveway. That seems to even out any high spots and still gives you good pedal feel without the risk of dragging.