Sticking drum brake

91 OCC. Adjusted rear drum brakes to just dragging but right one got bound up. Replaced leaky axle seal and changed shoes and installed new drums. Left is fine but right drags slightly and drum gets real hot. Not the adjustment and installation seems right. Could it be wheel cylinder? Replaced with China after market about 3 years ago, not leaking.

Check/double check that all the hardware is installed correctly.

Very unlikely that it's a wheel cylinder.

Is your brake fluid fresh in the whole system

This one has the self adjuster on the primary shoe per The FSM includes the following note, "Some cars pqarking brake installed on primary shoe". However, the cable would nto permit that. I'm tempted to scrap the self adjuster and just use a brake spoon from time to time. THX

stupid question, but did you clean up the backing plate, primarily the contact patches that the shoes ride on?

not a stupid question at all. I cleaned them but did not grease them. The hold down spring on the rear (primary) shoe is really tight over the self adjuster lever. Even when dragging, the drum comes off relatively easy.

The sticking on the parking brake cross piece is a pretty deal, I think, and the cause of many dragging rear shoes. People tend to like them snug because they are afraid of rattles, but they need to be able to move freely because you don't really know how they are going to move when activated. The should also be greased with moly grease like the shoes to backing plate. My cross piece on the parking brake were petty worn so I got new and of course they were the wrong ones and I had to open up the slots.

I filed the parking brake cross bar, greased the contact points and emptied and bled wheel cylinder. Starts out fine but begins to drag after several stops. Leads me to believe the wheel cylinder is hanging up. Will let forum know result when parts arrive and are installed.

Changing wheel cylinder helped. After market part needed filing to fit correctly but works well. Still finding that right drum running a bit hotter than left. I guess I need to live with it. Thanks for advice.

The problem turned out to be with the after market drum being out of round. An old time mechanic called it "cast shift" and said it can't be machined out. Waiting on replacement drum from Autozone but car operable in the meantime.

I suppose us Longroofers are now caught up in the problem with poorly manufactured, imported aftermarket replacement parts being all that's available. Case in point are the fuel pumps.

well it's not just for our b body cars, I was going from De Pere to Stevens point with my old suburban that had a plow, just outside of Waupaca the rear drivers side tire came off. a local shop replaced the brakes on that corner and a started noticing a noise, took it to a local shop once I got back home and they found that while the drum was fine the holes, for the lugs and the axle, where off centered so it couldn't even be put on a lath to try and get it true and the only option was replacement or put up with the noise.