Dragging brakes.
 

So the Olds got new wheel cylinders, brake drums, brake shoes, adjusters, and hardware. Pretty much everything on the drums is new. Things were fine for about a week, then the car started driving odd. There was a feeling of resistance and shuddering, and the smell of hot brakes.

Took the wheels off, adjusted the brakes slightly, but things back together and ta-da. Drives normally. Now, a few days later, it's starting again.

What could be causing this? Could both new adjusters be bad? It's getting a little old to have to manually adjust things every few days.

Drum brake adjusters are only supposed to work when the car is in reverse and the brakes applied, I suppose if you do a lot of this they could be over-adjusting, but something sounds fishy. Did you replace the emergency brake hardware and/or inspect this also?

2004 Bonne SLE
1971 Chevelle SS

Another item to consider is I assume you have front discs, If so with a disc/drum brake system there should be a proportioning valve with a pin that needs depressed during the bleeding process. If this hasn't been done it's possible you're getting more rear brake line pressure causing the rear shoes to drag on the drums.

If the brakes use the 'U' shaped retaining spring, those simply adjust with moderate pedal pressure if memory serves.

If you jack the rear of the car, how do the wheels free spin?

In mine, I think someone left the EBrake on at one point and cooked everything in the back, including the possible warping of the hub plate as well. I have been through 2 sets of drums trying to make the problems go away, to no avail.

This car would not have that type of proportioning valve......

Did you clean and lube the "lands" on the backing plate?

With one rear wheel off the ground, spin the wheel.....now pull on the ebrake cable going into the drum.....does wheel stop and hold? Now release cable...does it move freely and release the wheel?

Do the same to the other side...

I dunno about the backing plate, the brake parts were installed at a local mechanic as I couldn't the the seized hardware on the old (and very leaky) wheel cylinders to break loose.

E brake is non operational, the cable is very rust seized and hasn't broken free with a liberal application of PB Blaster. So the cable doesn't move at all when you apply pressure to it.

The wheels spin with some slight resistance. I'm wondering if the cheap Advance Auto drums I got are out of round, as the symptoms (dragging, shuddering, notable vibrations) come and go.