drum brake install...primary spring first or secondary spring?

Hello,
It looks like my guidebook and the verbal tutorial here on mustang monthly both say that the primary spring is installed first and then then the secondary spring is installed over that.
But the guidebook photo shows the primary spring on the outside (installed last) and when I pulled off the drums, that is also how it was installed.
Does it matter that much if the primary or secondary spring is installed first or second? Seems like it was working fine before (except for the leaky wheel cylinder).

Also, should I put any grease on the drum shoes or is it okay to leave them dry and as is out of the box?

I installed the shoes and thought I tightened them enough...and then bled the system, but still on the mushy side. How tight should I adjust the front drums to fit into the drums (with the adjuster screw)?

I have a 66 stang, 289, 10" drums I'm pretty sure, all 4 drum brakes, and I am working on replacing the front 2 drums.
Thanks,
Micah  

this is a duplicate answer to a duplicate post...


hold down springs to hold the shoes to the backing plate..


the star plate on the anchor pin.. first..
the self adjuster cable ring..  the end laying over the secondary lining..  
place the self adjuster cable guide in its hole and hold it flat... insert the shoe end of the secondary spring... use the lever tool to stretch the secondary spring over the anchor pin..

once its snapped into place..   pull the self adjuster cable down and over the guide... pull the self adjuster ring to the side to  take all the slack out of the cable. when its installed..

now install the primary hold down spring over the anchor...

at this point..  i squeeze the bottom of the shoes together..   hook the self adjuster lever into the secondary shoe... hook the lower spring between the primary shoe and the ring on the self adjuster lever...   now.. i usually use a pair of pliers.. to rock the self adjuster lever up to attach the self adjuster cable hook to the lever....

but.. there is the adjuster...

assemble with the adjuster with the cap and the  thrust washer.. white lithium grease, NOT SILICONE GREASE..  wipe off excess..

insert the long threaded cap up behind the primary shoe web..
the web is the flat piece all the springs are hooked to...

once you get the front of the adjusted behind the primary shoe web.. pull the shoes apart and move the adjuster into place....

now.. that everything is together.. please... deflect the self adjuster cable.. make sure that when the cable is deflected... bent.. moved.. pulled... that the self adjuster lever actually lifts.. then release the deflection.. the star wheel should then rotate as the spring pulls the lever down..

if the ring on the end of the self adjuster cable is not pulled toward the cable.. the adjuster lever will be too high to properly catch the star wheel and that wheel will NOT adjust properly as the shoes wear..

once in a great while.. the self adjuster cables may be too long..  and won't have the proper angle to catch the star wheel and move them...

hope this helps..

on the rears..  you have to  have the parking brake spreader bar in also..  and the spring on the front of that.. or it will rattle like crazy when you go over bumps and wear the ends out..


please check the pads on the backing plate...   i have found some really worn...

the ones on my 70 ranchero with 380.000 miles on them had a few spots where the shoe actually wore through...   i welded them up and ground them off to repair them..

lastly...   if you are running tires on the rear with a larger foot print .. than whats on the front and you are having front brake lock up before the rears..  you can increase the rear brake bias by talking to a really smart parts guy...  there are different size rear wheel cylinders to allow you to increase the percentage of braking done by the rears... this is NOT cheep.. some sizes are very expensive..   i have found  Ford cars with different sized rear wheel cylinders.. from side to side..  no wonder the car stopped sideways no matter what was done with the adjustments..


the only grease should be some WHITE LITHIUM grease.. a small amount spread on the 6 contact areas on the backing plates..   and on the self adjuster cable where it slides over the guide.. and on the adjuster threads, thrust washer and cap..


as for checking the adjustment..  pull the rubber plug from the slot in the backing plate..

shine a flash light in..   take your adjusting tool.. or bent screw driver... lever the adjuster wheel forward...  then while looking in at it.. lever it back.. if you have more than 1/16 of an inch.. you don't have the brakes enough..

(-------||--)  good..

(-----|--|--) bad..

also.. the surface of the brake shoes is soft until you drive it a few miles.. so that could be the soft pedal you are feeling...

lastly... brake drums  wear from a parallel surface .. |__________|  good.. to \________/ BAD.. they well in a bell mouth shape..  if there is a ridge.. you have an issue..   when the linings are forced out they contact the outer wear surface..  then the outer wear surface..  this causes the shoes to attempt to twist.. requiring more pedal motion before full contact...

i hope this was all discussed in the articles i linked a while back...

perhaps it was not..

please don't try to adjust brake bias by doing the wheel cylinder size change unless you really understand brake systems.. this can get you deep into a law suit if something screws up and a crash results..  

this is a DUPLICATE answer to a duplicate post...



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