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Help with rear brakes

2011rex87

NAXJA Forum User
Location
USA
96 Cherokee sport 4.0 4x4 automatic - 100% stock. 240k miles. No drivability issues except:

I think the rear brake wheel cylinders could be frozen/seized up. Now that it is cold and icy, I confirmed the issue by putting the rear over ice and putting the trans in R or D. The rear wheel(s) starts spinning but will not stop when I hit the brake pedal no matter how hard I push it. The brake pedal is only working on the front wheels. The rear wheels will stop using the emergency brake. I have replaced the drums and shoes and hardware and cleaned the star adjuster.

I am looking for opinions and to see if anyone else has had this issue. I own a 98 xj and this 96 xj. Never had this exact issue before.

Thanks ahead of time for any replies.
 
Could be as simple as an adjustment issue... This is why I prefer disk brakes...

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Could also be a brake fluid issue. When changing rear drum brake parts it is best to change everything including the shoes, wheel cylinders, springs and adjusters. They make rear break hardware kits for the springs and adjusters. The contact points for the shoes should be lubed with grease and if the contact points on the backing plate are heavily grooved/worn then they should be filled with weld and ground back to a level surface. Changing wheel cylinders for $20 when you do the brakes is a lot cheaper than having to replace shoes and all that if a wheel cylinder fails and brake fluid soaks the shoes.

I did have problems with my rear brakes on my D35 axle. Adjusting and bleeding did not seem help. I never fixed the issue with that axle, as I had another axle to replace the D35. With the replacement axle the brakes work fine. Redoing everything listed above should resolve your issue.
 
As suggested, adjust the brakes.

I have not found a decent not made in China brake hardware kit that has a self adjuster that actually functions. I adjust all three of my XJ's rear brakes manually using the star wheel two or three times a year.

Rear brake cylinders are not expensive, nor difficult to install, if you think they need replacing do it.
 
I am with Tim on this one.... I actually adjust the shoes every other oil change. So 6k miles

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Pull the parking brake until you feel some resistance, back to 5 MPH and moderately hard, push the brake pedal. Repeat a few times. If they are going to self adjust this will do the trick.

If they won't self adjust you either assembled them wrong or the star wheel adjusters are frozen. Possible the adjuster lever is rusted to junk. Not likely both sides are acting up in the same way at the same time.

Warning if one side rear brakes and the other doesn't it can turn you around in a circle jiffy quick on ice, rain-slick pavement or leaf-covered pavement.
 
If you take off the drums and have some one slowly push down on the brake pedal and see if the brake shoes move . be careful if they do move you can push apart the wheel cylinders . I f they don't move have the person hold down the brake and open the bleederr to see if brake fluid shoots out under pressure .
 
Ditto on what Tim says. I've put in brand-new adjusters, etc. and the rear brakes still would not adjust properly. After taking things apart a couple of times to check things, I just said the hell with it. I have better things to do than re-engineer brake adjusters. So now I just adjust my rear brakes manually when needed. In my view, some of these parts manufactured overseas is another verification that these manufacturers could screw-up a one car funeral!

Best regards,

CJR
 
Could be as simple as an adjustment issue... This is why I prefer disk brakes...

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Ditto on what Tim says. I've put in brand-new adjusters, etc. and the rear brakes still would not adjust properly. After taking things apart a couple of times to check things, I just said the hell with it. I have better things to do than re-engineer brake adjusters. So now I just adjust my rear brakes manually when needed. In my view, some of these parts manufactured overseas is another verification that these manufacturers could screw-up a one car funeral!

Best regards,

CJR

Or just do as SlowXj said and be done with all the adjusting and go with discs, it's such a easy conversion nowadays!
 
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