Unusual Brake Dragging problem

[LR Max]

I have an unusual brake problem on my 1973 Series 3 109. Truck has 11" brakes on all four corners.

One of the front brakes drags but the dragging goes away when I pull the tire off. Something about bolting the wheel onto the hub makes the brake drag.

I haven't had time to look through it properly, I wanted to post here and see if anyone else has had this problem and would know what the issue is.

Thanks.

 

[Leslie]

Is your drum warped?

 

[enonz98lr]

im kinda new to working on series rovers, but if my discovery was doing this i would check the wheel berings. if one of them is bad it might cause the hub to move around and with the weight of the tire off make it light enough not to drag? if im making any sence....hope you figure it out, my series is driving me nuts right now:banghead:

 

[apg]

Are 11" shoes 'handed' as in leading vs. trailing? (Don't know 'cause I've got the 10's.) When two leading or trailing shoes are fitted to the same wheel, all kinds of weird stuff happens....

 

[LR Max]

Thanks for the input.

Leslie, I don't think they are warped. I don't get the tale tell pulsing brake pedal. But they could be warped in another way. I'll study them closer.

I don't think its the wheel bearing. I check wheel bearings often and they haven't been loose. Granted, I've done a quick "wiggle" test. I guess I could tear the entire thing apart but the fronts are kinda a pain.

I don't think the shoes are handed. They shoes are exactly the same in all dimensions.

After I move this weekend I'll tear it apart one more time and look to see if the drum is warped or something goofy like that.

 

[Jason T.]

Max, if the above suggestions check out to be O.K. then maybe it's the wheel itself. Try a different wheel. Or try swapping the rear drum to the front and see if that makes it go away.
Jason T.

 

[LR Max]

I'll try swapping the drum. That would let me know real quick if that was the problem.

I know its not the wheel. I've been switching between two sets of tires (set of 235/85/16 BFG MTs and a set of 34" TSLs on beadlocks) and the problem still remains. I've rotated the tires (both sets!) and even then the problem remains.

 

[landrvrnut21]

Just a though, but make sure you evenly torque the lug nuts. Your drums are basically held on by the rim and lugnuts. If there is dirt on the hub face, or even just lugnuts not torqued evenly, it could cause the drum to go on crooked. Or, you have a bent axle up front, and the added weight of the tire makes in noticeable. My inital thought was wheel bearings, but if you have the right preload it shouldn't cause this problem.