new rear brakes - adjusted loose and still slight drag

[airkooledchris]

I just finished installing new rear brake shoes, drums and cylinders.

with the little stars screwed all the way in for max clearance I was able to pop the drums into place, but as you spin the tire it's still grabbing pretty firmly.

is this normal for all brand new parts?

im not sure if there would be a way to install them to gain even more clearance so they don't drag, or if your just supposed to bed them in like this and let them clearance themselves.

thanks for any tips...
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[aeromech]

I'll bet they just aren't centered in the drum. Try hitting the brakes a few times and see if that clears things up a bit. Are both sides tight?
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[busdaddy]

Are you sure the shoes are in the slots on the ends of the pistons?, Parking brake cables fully backed off up front?
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[aeromech]

Parking brake cables fully backed off up front?

That's a good thought. Sometimes when the parking brake handle seems loose people will adjust the cables instead of tightening the star adjusters. Then when you do the next brake job you find them too tight.
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Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound

[airkooledchris]

do the slots in the screw/stars have an up/down orientation?

it seemed like flipped one way the shoe would sit flush with either the top or the bottom end of that slot

I switched the side that was dragging the most to sit flush in the slot on the top rather than the bottom (only one of the two shoes were this way) and that seemed to cut out the drag for the most part. they still don't spin just completely free when backed out all the way, but they are only barely catching now at least.

I thought maybe the parking brake cable was way too tight from it's last adjustment to the worn out shoes, but backing it way off just adding a few more clicks to the adjustment in the cab and didn't have any effect on the rear brakes dragging or not when disengaged.

now I need to re-bleed them and see where im at.
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