brakes

[Gearhead999]

I've been reading your posts here.

You are getting great advice and correct advice on your brake problems.

Now your rear brake problem.
First, do you have the shoes, drums brakes call them "Shoes", on correctly?? Primary, short shoe, to the front??
2] Wheel cylinders completly retracted??
3] Hold down springs on correctly??
4] Self adjuster on the rear shoe with the cable and small spring installed??
5] Adjuster turned all the way in??
6] Brake shoes centered on backing plate, on top of the rub spots on the backing plates. Lub these too.
7] Parking brake released fully and installed on rear shoe correctly??
8] If all the above are correct the drum should slip on
If it doesn't check that all the "forked" parts of the hardware is seated in their proper place on the shoes. The adjuster "forked ends" are stuck and riding up on the shoe. If all looks good, next where did you buy the shoes?? Are they relined or new?? Had car at my shop Friday from a young guy who tried to do his own rear brakes, like you. But, couldn't get the drums on, again like you. He had all new parts.
He brought car to be to straighten out. Besides the usual amature mistakes we found the brake shoes were bent, not from him anything he did. He bought the brakes as relines, which you hardly see anymore at Advance Discount Auto Parts. We use Wagner and they fit right on, no hitch. Also, between what he paid for relines and what the new Wagners cost was only $10.

Good luck, keep posted how you're making out.