Once re-assembled with the wheels on the ground you simply drive the vehicle in reverse and slam on the brakes this will cause the adjusters to spin out until they contact the drum ...then you just drive it in the forward gear..this is how the drum brake adjusters are self adjusted...auto.howstuffworks.com
Hi. Once you have the rear wheel(s) off, vibrate the rust loose on the outer drum shell from the threaded wheel lug studs with a rubber hammer or a pneumatic air hammer around the face of the drum. Then it should slide right off. Now you have the drum pads revealed. There is a thumb wheel (usually on the top side) that is in the middle between the pads, the turning mechanism kind of looks like a small version of a cowboy spur on the back of a cowboy boot. Turn the thumb wheel until you see more tension being applied against the brake shoe pads slowly starting to open them up a bit. Extend the shoe pads only an 1/8" to 3/16" of inch and see if that is enough for a final adjustment by sliding the drum shell back on. If you opened the pads up too much the drum shell is obviously going to hit prohibiting you from sliding it all the way back on. The perfect adjustment is to get the pads to have just a bit of friction as the drum shell is sealed back on over the pads letting you able to turn the unit just a bit instead of it turning round completely free. This little bit of friction will wear off as soon as you drive down the street giving you the most adjustment possible for another 15,000 thousand miles or whoever knows how much more milage you will get till the next adjustment. Rear drum brake outlast front brakes usually 3 fold for maintenance. Be sure to spray the pads and inside of the drum shell with a can of brake cleaner to remove oil grease and sediment before reinstalling, and do not breathe that chemical cleaner in, it is so powerful, make sure! Good luck. Live long and prosper.
