Andyba20

Thanks for everyone’s help and suggestions on this. The fact that the existing brake job was done wrong made it a lot more confusing to get things put back together correctly, but I got it done and can definitely feel an improvement in the brakes. Not just in pedal feel, but actually stopping power as well.

These videos are a giant leap for M1973M, really great stuff. Thanks for doing this.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed partitions to keep my bouncy balls separated!

Mike and I were just talking about how we came to love the 2nd Gen Rams. Thought y’all might get a kick out of this video. My dad was a contractor when I was growing up, and Dodge must’ve gotten ahold of a mailing list with all licensed contractors in the country because they sent this in the mail on VHS in late 1993. We didn’t get cable TV where we lived and my brother and I probably watched this video 500 times on the VCR, we couldn’t believe our eyes. A few months later my dad (who was known for driving trucks until the wheels fell off and then buying the cheapest used truck he could) pulled in the driveway in a red single cab short bed 1500 with a 5.2 Magnum. Best day of our lives. So it began.

So I took it apart and kept everything together like y’all suggested (and took pictures). Not a fun job so far, but I’m about done. Have an issue though. I took both of the adjuster screws into the garage to clean them up with a brush and realized one of them is reverse threaded. Anybody know which goes where? It’s pouring outside so I can’t trial an error.

None of the shops ever give me a hard time about redoing the work, the thing is I don’t want them to do anything else. The best gearhead in town is 78 years old, he’s a great man. Problem is, he’s so sweet natured he won’t say no to anyone, his shop is always packed, and when he’s not helping out someone for free he only charges $30 an hour. He’d do anything in the world for me and my family but I know he’s exhausted and I just don’t have the heart to ask him (plus he barely charges me and I don’t like that). Bottom line, if I’m going to keep this truck forever I’m just going to have to accept that I’ll have to do the work myself.

I hope you got a raise after that… I was spoiled the first 5 years I had the truck, I had a local mechanical that specialized in 2nd gens, and owned two of them. He was killed a few years ago in a motorcycle wreck (hit by another bike actually). That’s when I really started leaning into this forum for easier diy stuff, and tried a few other local shops for the more complicated jobs. Well, that always ended in a mess, and I couldn’t believe how everything had to be worked on over and over. So then I switched and started doing the harder jobs myself with the help of the forum, and figured I could trust the basics to the locals guys (oil change, brakes, ps fluid flushes, etc). The easier jobs were screwed up even worse. The pic below was from a job by the same knuckleheads that did my drum brakes.

It looks like the last shop did it incorrectly (if I’m understanding the service manual). I wonder if I’ll notice improved braking once I get this straightened out? Drivers side passenger side

I’ll check mine tomorrow and get pictures with measurements.

I’ll know for sure here in a few, but looking at the side I have off now it looks like the shop that did the last shoe change used the same size shoe (primary/primary or secondary/secondary). Aren’t they supposed to be different lengths? Or are they supposed to be different thickness? The ones on there now look to be the same length. Man what a boring thread, I’d much rather be talking turbos or something. Thanks for y’all’s help on this boring topic.

The parking brake cable has never been adjusted by me, and I can’t say if it ever was for the first 150K of it’s life. The shoes were replaced 5 years/35K miles ago. When the shoes were replaced I had the shop swap in GM 1 ton brake cylinders. With that said, the more I’ve learned about these trucks over the years, the more I realize pretty much nowhere I have ever taken my truck has done anything correctly (or to the M1973M forum crowd standards). So I’ve gone back and redone a lot, or printed out instructions from this site and made them do it by instructions (don’t care if they like it or not).

So @Mopar1973Manyou think I need an entire new kit for both sides? I can’t just replace the adjuster cable?

A quick follow up- I finally got the drum off using the ol’ brake slamming trick (after soaking with penetrating oil and tapping with a hammer for an hour didn’t work). I’m not exactly sure of the mechanics of the self adjuster, but I’m guessing this is why I was getting the noise in reverse regardless of whether the brakes were applied or not. The adjuster cable is broke, and the spring has fallen down into the lip. Anybody have suggestions on parts to lube while I’ve got everything apart?

Here’s another video…sure enough it happens when brakes are applied. When it’s on the ground it makes the noise regardless of the brakes unless they are dragging from being held before I shift to reverse. (Noise at the end is me putting it in park while the wheels were still spinning)

The “moan” is the brakes. It’s in reverse gear going slightly downhill with a 30ft gooseneck trailer hooked up. The “creaking” noise is what I’m chasing down. The creaking is heard in reverse gear up hill or down hill, brakes or no brakes. Coasting backwards in neutral there is no creaking noise, in forward gear there is no creaking noise.

I will inspect the drums, but if it was a brake issue wouldn’t the noise be there regardless of the gear or engine on/off? I wish that video was a little better, I know it’s tough to see. Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.

@JAG1 no, backwards in neutral there is no noise. I’ve let it roll back in neutral with the engine off and with it running…the only time it squeaks is in reverse with the engine on…same noise with or without brakes applied.

Thanks @IBMobile, and when you say transmission mount do you mean transfer case?

Hey @W-T my rears are drums, I’ll try that and report back, but it only does this when in gear (reverse) if I’m in neutral and coast backwards the noise goes away.

Is this a ujoint or something else? Noise only happens in reverse gear with engine running, no noise when backing in neutral with the engine off. Noise disappears when in forward gear.

I’ve thought about doing exactly what you did. Looks like it works well. Currently I’m using the ashtray to prop my phone up (sideways), I think I could make an iPad mini or small android tablet work in that spot too.

I’m just starting to learn the Adrenaline myself, but the iQuad is nice because it enables you to use an IOS (Apple) or Android device as your monitor as opposed to having a fixed device that’s hardwired into the Adrenaline module, plus it’s simple to install bc it’s wireless. You can customize the user interface to show readings that you don’t get from your instrument cluster or your mechanical gauges, for example trans temp, fuel temp, etc. But, the main advantage is the fact that 90% of people already have an iPhone or Android device so they can use their iPhone, for example, instead of having to buy another dedicated device just for the Adrenaline. Up to this point I’ve just been using the Quadzilla app on my iPhone to manage the Adrenaline, but I’ve decided to buy a separate dedicated tablet to sync through IQuad. Bigger screen, and leaves my iPhone free to roam on cellular data.

Yea I’ve seen your article on how you installed yours, I can see how it would be easy to mess it up (for me) if I don’t take my time.

@LorenSsounds like yours wasn’t installed correctly. Slim margin of error on this cut apparently.

This is good to know. I’ve got a draw straw sitting in the garage I’ve been needing to install.