02 TJ, rear drum brake problem

RedTJ

RedTJ

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 21, 2016
Messages
100
Location
Suffolk, VA, United States
I have a 2002 TJ with rear drum brakes and 165,000 miles on it. I've owned it for the last 40,000 miles. Considering how long rear drum brakes last these days, they could be the original brakes.

I've noticed a gradual deterioration in brake performance and have been meaning to do a rear brake job. The fronts are pretty new so I doubt there's anything wrong with them. I have also noticed that the emergency brake lever travels all the way to the end before it catches. Today, I used the emergency brake and when I let it go, the brake light stayed on and pedal travel was much more than it had been and there was brake fluid on the driveway by the passenger side rear wheel.

I pulled the drums and the right rear brakes are soaked. The left rear is bone dry. It would be any easy guess to say it's brake fluid, and obviously brake fluid leaked out since it's on the driveway, but what I'm seeing doesn't look like a new leak. It looks black and sludgy like old oil.

The master cylinder is low, but I think that just happened since the brake light wasn't on before and I have never had to add brake fluid. I'm wondering if it's an axle seal in addition to whatever happened to cause brake fluid to leak and would appreciate any input the experts on this forum can give.

A couple of other questions. The drums are warped. I haven't noticed any pulsing when driving, but I noticed it when I turned them while removing them. Also, the brake shoes appear to be lower in the center than on the edges. Are new shoes like this? Are these drums worth turning?

Thanks for any information you can provide.
 
I have attempted to upload an image. I hope it works.

20170326_173119.jpg
 
You most likely blew the wheel cylinder. It's that round cylinder above the axle shaft and it pushes the brake shoes out against the drum. It's like a $12 part and you gotta detach the brake line from the backside (start spraying that area with penetrating fluid). You might as well do the wheel cylinders, drums, shoes, and hardware on both sides and be done with it. Then bleed all the lines so there is fresh fluid in there.

It's a good time to inspect all the brake lines front to rear for any rust. Mine blew out on the driver's side frame rail due to rust
 
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Ahoragi said:
You most likely blew the wheel cylinder. It's that round cylinder above the axle shaft and it pushes the brake shoes out against the drum. It's like a $12 part and you gotta detach the brake line from the backside (start spraying that area with penetrating fluid). You might as well do the wheel cylinders, drums, shoes, and hardware on both sides and be done with it. Then bleed all the lines so there is fresh fluid in there.

It's a good time to inspect all the brake lines front to rear for any rust. Mine blew out on the driver's side frame rail due to rust
Click to expand...

X2, this is what I'm thinking as well.
 
I didn't smell any sulfur, but there was quite a difference between the condition of the left and right rear brakes. The driver's side was dry and intact. The passenger side was soaked with brake fluid and coated with crusty black crud. Once I got it apart, I scrubbed the backing plate with a wire brush which cleaned it up nicely. There was a brake adjuster cable running from the top of the brakes down to the adjuster which was broken on the passenger side as well which explains why it wasn't adjusting. That single part was the same price as an adjuster repair kit which included the cable along with lots of other bits, so I got that instead. The right rear brake line was frozen to the wheel cylinder and no matter how much penetrating oil I sprayed on it, it wouldn't budge. I thought of replacing the brake line, but couldn't find one locally so I got a wheel cylinder repair kit instead. I could have ordered one from Morris 4x4, but that would mean another week of driving my other vehicle, a 15 passenger Ford van. I really didn't feel like driving that behemoth for another week, so I too the short cut. Hope it works. I'll finish it up tomorrow.
 
Thanks to all for the tips. I got it back together today with new drums, new hardware, a brake adjuster repair kit, new shoes and one repaired wheel cylinder. I am amazed at how much better it is. There's much less pedal effort and travel and my emergency brake works again. I was also reminded of what a foul mouth I have sometimes.
 
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