Tom

Tom,

Q I just replaced the drum brakes on my ‘85 Jeep CJ-7. I’ve been hearing a

cyclical sliding noise (not squealing or grinding, but something is touching)
when I drive at all speeds, and the driver side drum overheats excessively. I
tried adjusting the brakes significantly to see if the shoes were too close to
the drum, but that didn’t help the problem. Do you have any idea what might
be contacting the drum and what I can do about it?

Josh—Toledo,    Ohio

Josh,

A The brake shoes on the side that gets hot are touching the drum. Check

the emergency brake cable on the side that’s overheating. I suspect it might
be seized, causing the brake shoe to stay applied to the drum. If the cable is
okay, then check for worn return springs, loose anchor springs, or a leaking
wheel cylinder, because these conditions could cause the brake to hang up as
well. Good luck.