anybody tell me the best way to adjust rear brakes on 92 250. thanks

 

often

if that makes any sense

 

yup, ...best get a brake adjuster tool, failing that a big flat-type screwdriver. Get the wheel up on an axle stand, park brake off, pull the rubber slot cover off the back of the backing plate. Reach thru the slot with the screwdriver and feel around for the star wheel. Catch a notch in the star wheel and lever it up and down. The star wheel will turn one way easily so turn it a few clicks. Try turning the road wheel back and forth. Keep clicking the star wheel until the brake drum starts to drag on the brake shoes. Now reach in with another tool, possibly a piece of stiff wire, and push the adjuster lever inward away from the star wheel and turn the star wheel the other way until the brakes JUST stop dragging. You're done that side! The Haynes manual has a much better, shorter description than mine, with pictures!

 

further to above here's a pic showing the inside with new springs so you can see what you're poking in there.

 

I am going to add that, when you are inside the brakes, take the star-wheels apart, motor-wire-brush the threads, and coat the threads real good with ANTI-SEIZE.

Also, take a three-cornered file and "SHARPEN" the teeth on the wheel.

It also doesn't hurt to carefully enlarge the backing-plate access hole, making future brake adjustments somewhat easier.

 

For the $8 it costs, I buy a new adjuster. Comes already coated with anti-seize, too.

 

I always clean up and grease the adjusters like that, but my star wheels were pretty beat up. Didn't think to hit them with a file.

 

good points added, ...I thought I was the only one picky enough to lube inside the star sleeve, ...only other point is spray down the whole mess with Brake-Kleen prior to putting the drum back on and use new nut lockers. A really **** point is I take a photo before closing up, and last time it helped me because when I got the other side together I began second-guessing my cable routing on the first and would've had to pull the first apart to check. The photo saved all that hassle (see above post)

 

I might add, if you get a chance to grab a set of the "double-nut/folding-tab-lock-washer" old style bearing adjustment nuts, so much the better.

It has been my experience that, with the newer single-nut/keeper style, the bearing will eat a groove in the back surface of the adjusting nut, thereby loosening the bearing.

The old style are made of much better metal and hard enough that this won't happen.

My findings are that the nuts from a Dana 60 or 70 are the same, Ford or Dodge.

New adjustment nuts are not cheap, and in my experience short-lived; whereas, the old style double-nut set-up can be picked up at a junk-yard and will last forever.

 

good point on the retaining nuts. I had to get new ones due to the groove you are talking about. The new ones look soft to me and I'm sure I will be replacing them again.