On 1979 and earlier models, tighten the adjusting nut until it is just snug
while rotating the drum back and forth to seat the bearing.
Fig. 1: Turn the rear brake drum with a spring scale
at 90°to the diameter of the drum to measure the starting force
On 1980–83 models, tighten the nut to 36 ft. lbs. (48 Nm), or 29 ft.
lbs. (39 Nm) on 1984 models, while rotating the drum back and forth to seat
the bearing. Loosen the nut about 0.11 in. (3mm).
Then, attach a spring scale to one of the wheel studs. Pull on the spring
scale at a 90°angle to the diameter of the brake drum and measure the
force required to start the drum turning.
It should be 6–9 ft. lbs. (8–12 Nm) on 1970–77 cars, 2.2–3.1
ft. lbs. (3–4 Nm) on 1978–83 cars, and 2.6–4.0 ft. lbs.
(3.5–5 Nm) on 1984 cars.
Loosen or tighten the nut slightly to get the right rolling resistance.
When the rolling resistance is right, bend the lockwasher over to hold the
nut in place.
