Ok guys, this one may be in the too dumb catagory, but I can't remember.... And I am not even 40 yet! Doh!

Leading shoe / trailing shoes.....

When I pulled the brakes and replaced them on my 94 this past weekend, the brakes as you looked at them were the short shoe on one side, and long on the other, the same way on both (I forget which, but same one was on the right and the other on the left, as you look at it).

Is that correct? Or is it long shoe on front or back and short shoe on opposite?

The brakes are quite catchy or grabby, ABS kicking in very often on stops. And a hard stop the ABS is really busy with the rear. And the brakes arn't as released feeling as I want them to be. Even mild to gentle stops it will grab sometimes.

I can't tell which side is trying to lockup with ABS on. Braking power is good, but feels VERY biased to the rear.

Was it wrong when I got it and I just duplicated the "problem"? This might be why there has always been a small amount of brake pull when I stop hard.

The drivers side was worn way down, the pass side only 50% worn.

I didn't have my FSM handy to look in (dumb, I know, I needed it to confirm)...

maybe they are over adjusted?

Mine would do the same thing, but after a few stops they re-adjusted them selves.

I dont know about shoe direction though.

Its a good feeling knowing your rears are working, mine need an adjustment now.

Short shoes on the front long shoes on the back. Watch the over 40 remarks sonny :)

I didn't say anything about being 'over' 40.... :) I am close enough though....

So short towards front of car?

Then I have one side wrong, which is the way it came out, it was long on front of one, short on back, and on the other short on the front and long on the back.

Well, it is coming apart Friday. Dang, I hate doing it again.... Hope it didn't hurt anything.

The tighter the shoes are the worse it gets. I tried to stop medium hard in traffic today and it the ABS was quite busy trying to keep a rear from locking.

Well, at least it isn't short on one side of the car and long on the other. I have heard of people doing that....

Dupe Post....

Confirmed in the 1976 FSM. My 1994 FSM doesn't say that I can see. You would think after years of using the identical braking system, they would just describe it the same way....

This is why I keep stacks of FSM's around.... Just wish I had them the day I did the brakes!

I am 95% sure that one is backwards, which would explain the heavy wear on one side and not the other. I remember they were both the same as I looked at it. One long shoe was towards the front (drivers side I think) and the other side had long shoe towards back (pass side). The pass side was wearing much less. Under hard braking the car would pull some (not a lot) to the left, which would explain if I was getting more braking power on the left than right.

Well, that wheel cyl had a touch of dampness, so I will go back in and replace or rebuild it (anyone with experience in rebuilding? is honing NEEDED or just seals replaced?)

Thanks!

Short shoes on the front long shoes on the back. Watch the over 40 remarks sonny :)

Well, that wheel cyl had a touch of dampness, so I will go back in and replace or rebuild it (anyone with experience in rebuilding? is honing NEEDED or just seals replaced?)
Thanks!

Never changed seals on the FW but have done them on another car. Pretty straightforward job, just pull the cup seals on either end and put in new ones (dirt cheap, like under $5 per side). I think you'll have to bleed the brakes afterwards.

I never honed or anything like that.

Cool, hope it goes without incident!