Right rear brake runs hot

[Shadowranger]

Right rear drum/wheel temp. was 187* and the left was 150*. After a fairly long downhill drive then 5 miles of level stop and go. Air temp 85*
They think problem's solved so I will live with this and see what happens. Have a fire extinguisher in the truck...
There is no drag/resistance I notice now when starting off in the morning like before so that's improved. I'll check my receipts about wheel bearings. I've lost track of how much has been replaced on this thing.
Thanks for your replies.

 

[Shran]

Last time I had this issue it was the shoes getting hung up on the backing plates. I had installed new everything so I was as confused as you are but ultimately I found that the old shoes had worn grooves in the backing plates where they slide against it and were not able to move freely. I ground them smooth and used a bit of brake grease in those spots - problem solved.

Easy fix but easy to miss. This is not a Ranger backing plate but is similar enough that you can figure out where they are on yours:

 

[Shadowranger]

Thanks Shran, I will check through receipts and see if that has ever been replaced. I might even try that repair myself. Used to do drum brakes often but I don't have many tools anymore. Those brake springs can be a bitch.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

If you had had those backing plates replaced I doubt you would have forgotten it... I doubt that would be a cheap operation if you could even get the parts.

 

[Shadowranger]

Shran, is it possible to determine if that's the problem by looking at everything or did you need to disassemble the shoes and all to see the issue?

 

[Shran]

Shran, is it possible to determine if that's the problem by looking at everything or did you need to disassemble the shoes and all to see the issue?

You should be able to see the pads where the shoes ride on if you remove the drum and look close. I highly doubt the backing plates were replaced - there is no reason to 99% of the time unless they are rusted really bad.

All you really need for tools to fix it is a small pair of needle nose vice grips and a spring tool - this is my favorite style, the pliers type one will work fine too but I think they are a bit unwieldy: