I’ve been noticing that after my morning commute the drive rear brake drum is considerably warmer than the rest. It’s warm enough to smell it when I get out of the car.

I re-checked the adjustment and inspected the components. There is no brake drag that I can detect and the shoes consistently return to the anchor. Neither the drums nor shoes indicate abnormal wear or overheating.

One thing that seemed unusual was that I could move the axle in and out a small amount. I couldn’t feel any radial play and the bearing didn’t feel rough, but I was expecting there to be no discernible play. Possibly related, the axle seal is weeping some gear oil on that side (but drums and shoes are clean).

Any thoughts on what I’m dealing with here? Perhaps the bearing is generating the heat, not the brake?

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive

Assuming this is not a parking brake issue, I will lean towards this being a rear axle bearing issue.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

Hi,
Do you have the stock brake setup or was it updated?
Single or Dual master cylinder?
Drum or disk up front?
Both rear drums get hot?

With the wheels off the ground have someone press the brake then release while you test spin the wheel to see how quickly the brake releases. If it is slow then it could point to other problems than in that wheel as you stated you checked them.
Flex hoses can degrade preventing fluid returning quickly. Master sticking, it needs to return all the way to allow all the fluid pushed out to flow back in. Proportioning valve (rarely?) can stick to restrict the front and you would be using the rears more. Doing the wheel turning by hand test as above for the front can help find this.

Process of elimination!
Good luck!


1936 Ford 3W Coupe : 56 T-Bird 312, 47 Packard 3 speed, 40 juice brakes.
1968 Merc Cyclone FB GT 390, Getting a better front clip!
1977 Ford F-250 Supercab RWD Explorer Long box.
1976 Chev Camaro RS LT
Future rebuild : 1949 Ford F-1

It has a stock braking system: 4 wheel drums, single line master. I replaced all the hydraulic components a year ago.

Only the driver rear brake is affected. All the others are more uniform with the fronts a bit warmer than the rears (as expected). The car stops very well. I have not tried to coast to a stop after cruising the highway to see if things are still hot.

I will try to perform the test you recommended, but will go ahead and plan to replace the axle bearings.

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive

It has a stock braking system: 4 wheel drums, single line master. I replaced all the hydraulic components a year ago.

Only the driver rear brake is affected. All the others are more uniform with the fronts a bit warmer than the rears (as expected). The car stops very well. I have not tried to coast to a stop after cruising the highway to see if things are still hot.

I will try to perform the test you recommended, but will go ahead and plan to replace the axle bearings.

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive

After your freeway ride also check the axle temp at the backing plate, if it is hot then it is the bearing.


1936 Ford 3W Coupe : 56 T-Bird 312, 47 Packard 3 speed, 40 juice brakes.
1968 Merc Cyclone FB GT 390, Getting a better front clip!
1977 Ford F-250 Supercab RWD Explorer Long box.
1976 Chev Camaro RS LT
Future rebuild : 1949 Ford F-1

After 25 miles of highway cruising (no stops) I coasted to a stop. The LR drum was hot. The backing plate and axle didn’t seem to be particularly hot. Regardless, later this evening I pulled the axle to find a FoMoCo-marked axle seal. The bearing itself is marked with just Federal, the part number, and Made in USA. The perimeter of the bearing looks a bit odd (see picture) but it feels perfectly smooth and normal.

There was a fair amount of brake dust in the drum relative to how many miles I have driven the car since shoes were installed. Both service and parking brakes seemed to release as they should.

Given all this, I am thinking that the brake itself is still somehow to blame. I backed the adjuster off about 4 clicks and will continue to monitor.

1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive

Please report back.  Good luck.

There was a fair amount of brake dust in the drum relative to how many miles I have driven the car since shoes were installed. Both service and parking brakes seemed to release as they should.

Given all this, I am thinking that the brake itself is still somehow to blame. I backed the adjuster off about 4 clicks and will continue to monitor.

You replaced the seal(s)?

Did you pull the RS drum and notice the dust amount? The brake may be dragging as to poor return spring tension/quality or the shoe(s) hanging on the backing plate and/or possible sticking/frozen wheel cyl piston(s). One shoe table may be bent or warped. It may also be the drum itself. Are they a matched set? You might swap them and see if it changes things.

Finding quality drum brake parts these days is a problem.

No doubt the right parking cable is free?

____________________________

Maybe I’m just bad at adjusting drum brakes! I haven’t been on the highway since backing off those 4 clicks, but driving locally I can say that the drum in question is now consistently the same temp as the other rear brake and definitely cooler than the front brakes. Pedal feel and stopping performance do not seem to have changed.

I guess my lesson is to be very careful next time I adjust the brakes and check temps at all 4 corners carefully afterward. Then, anything that seems hotter or cooler than it should be, adjust accordingly—even if it appears to be properly adjusted already.



1954 Crestline Victoria 312 4-bbl, 3-speed overdrive