Just sprung for some relined front drum brakes for the Wildcat and want to do it right. The manual talks about inserting a rod to be able to turn the star wheel from the back. I’ve never had to do that on either side. I’ve been running a parts store replacement star wheel, but for this picture put an original in. Still don’t have to push in anything to turn the star wheel from the back. Is something up, or no big deal?
Thank you Adam, that's what I was thinking. If there isn't constant contact, it can't adjust. Another forum says just to bend the linkage to take up some slack. In that same thread, another guys says that's bad news bears, and you shouldn't do that. Anything think it will be a train wreck if I just adjust the lever?
So are you having trouble adjusting it by hand or is there something else? You should be able to reach in there with a brake adjusting tool and turn the wheel.it’s much easier to do it one direction as opposed to the other, because the adjuster is kind of holding it in place.
The actuator is in constant contact with the star wheel. The manual tells you to lift the actuator off the star wheel with a screwdriver and then turn the star wheel.
It'll move easily in one direction, but if you want to back it off, you'll likely have to push the adjuster off the wheel like the photo shows.
Symptom is I can spin the star wheel either direction, loose or tight, without needing to disengage the lever. If I grab the whole brake assembly and torque it to actuate, sometimes lever doesn’t contact star wheel teeth.
IIRC, The star wheels are threaded left and right, so you need to make sure you put the correct ones on the correct sides. Otherwise they will not self adjust. Duane
Thank you all for the replies. To fix it to where my self adjusters worked, I put a little more bend in the linkages and they made contact and worked correctly. These things are almost 60 years old and don't come with the spring kits, so I can be okay with it loosing a little tension over the years. I also had a whole drum assembly I kept off a parts car, so I was able to do a stare and compare and flip the linkage how it was supposed to be to keep it from hitting the wheel cylinder.
I remove the self adjuster arm spring so they are manual on my race cars. Often the adjusters get too tight when they adjust backing up. Just how I roll....
The star wheel and the actuator should make a ratcheting effect. Is the new star wheel the same diameter as the old? Looks smaller.
