How does one use the Automatic Brake Adjuster on rear drums?

[[SMAN]]

Ok i've searched throguh manuals and the forums, and i'm not quite clear on this. The manual says that when i finish replacing the shoes in my rear drums, I'm suposed to adjust it so that it's pulled in as much as possible. Now i hear that if you back up and apply the breaks, it ratchets it tight and to propelr place, but it doesn't seem to be doing that for me. Am I suposed to do something special?

[95camguy]

ive always thought that driving backwards while applying the brakes is the way to do it. make sure your brakes are bled properly also...

is your pedal feeling spongy?

[[SMAN]]

The brakes should be bled fine. I read somewhere that its set via the e-brake and not the regular brake pedal. But this is why i ask, because regular braking isn't making it any tighter.

[GrkBallaG]

you see that star wheel in the middle of the shoes, spin that down and it should push the shoes out, or its the other way around...

[Larry Sellers]

I have always felt that this system doesn't work well, on every car I've done the brakes on.

I turned that star thingy the way that makes the shoes spread apart until the drum won't come off cleanly anymore (without rubbing on the shoes) and then go back a little. This makes the drum brakes really tight. I've been doing this for years and haven't noticed what I would call increased wear. Whenever you have the rear wheels off for whatever reason, take off the drum, give everything a shot of brake cleaner and tighten them again.

[BlueFusion6851]

^That's the way your supposed to do it. You have to have some kind of drag on the brakes.
If you have your drum/wheel on and spin it hard and if it turns 1-1.5 times give or take the rear brakes are adjusted fine.

[Dave's]

And once adjusted it is the parking brake which is supposed to keep them adjusted. Used to be most cars adjusted by hitting brakes while backing up but that's not standard anymore.