Where doe's that spring go on rear brake drums 1996 chevy truck every thing is at top not at bottom, star wheel adjuster?

if you have rear drum brakes a return spring that pulls the brake shoes back to the unapplied position or a hold down spring may have broken which is now causing the brake shoes on that wheel to be applied causing the drag not all people bought there cars and trucks with 4 wheel disc brakes it was cheaper and didn't matter to them they just wanted lower $$$ check it out if this is the case you'll have to turn the adjuster star wheel inside the drum all the way in to get the drum off because the brake is applied it will be a pain but you'll get it you must use a brake spoon or a flat blade screw driver and a smaller one to lift up the return spring arm from the star wheel if this one is broken you will have to try to pry the drum off then buy a spring kit from auto parts and some brake tools if you don't have them already and change all the springs one by one so you don't get confused but also try to get a rear brake shoe diagram in case everything has fallen apart inside and you remove the drum and find a whole bunch of parts on the floor in front of you the diagram will give you the aid that you'll need if you have never done this before most of all inspect that wheel cylinder for leaking fluid if this is so replace it now good luck LATER MAN!

Brake Drums & Brake Shoes Removal & Installation To Remove:
Rear Drum Brakes

1. Raise and safely support rear of vehicle.
2. Release parking brake.
3. Remove rear wheel assemblies. NOTE: If brake drum is stuck, install two 8 mm bolts into threaded holes and tighten evenly.
   
4. Remove top return spring, front and rear shoe spring clips and hold-down pins.
5. Remove anti-rattle spring and adjuster spring. NOTE: Note position of operating lever prior to removal.
   
6. Remove bottom return spring.
7. Remove clip and washer and detach parking brake cable from rear shoe.
8. Remove brake shoes.

To Install:

1. Lubricate all brake shoe contact points with appropriate grease.
2. Place operating level into position on hub.
3. Install rear brake shoe and connect parking brake cable to rear shoe with washer and clip.
4. Install front brake shoe and install bottom return spring.
5. Install hold-down pins and spring clips.
6. Position operating lever and install top return spring.
7. Install anti-rattle spring and adjuster spring.
8. Install brake drum and screws.
9. Adjust brakes and install rear wheel assemblies.

1989-97 Vehicles Drum Brakes (Let me know if you need the Disc Brake Instructions)

1. Raise and safely support the vehicle.
   
2. Remove the rear wheel and tire assemblies, then remove the brake drum.
   
   
   
   
   
   Fig. 4: View of the drum brake assembly with the drum removed
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Fig. 5: Use a commercially available brake spray to clean the
   components before removal
   
   
   
   
3. Install Brake Cylinder Clamp D81L-1103-B or equivalent, over the ends of the
   rear wheel cylinder.
   
4. Disconnect the parking brake cable from the parking brake lever.
   
   
   
   
   
   Fig. 6: Detach the parking brake cable and conduit from the
   parking brake lever
   
   
   
   
5. Remove the 2 brake shoe hold-down retainers, springs and pins.
   
6. Spread the brake shoes over the piston shoe guide slots. Lift the brake
   shoes, springs and adjuster off the backing plate as an assembly. Be careful not
   to bend the adjusting lever.
   
   
   
   
   
   Fig. 7: Lift the brake shoes, springs and adjuster off the
   backing plate as an assembly
   
   
   
   
7. Remove the adjuster spring. To separate the shoes, remove the retracting
   springs.
   
8. Remove the parking brake lever retaining clip and spring washer. Remove the
   lever from the pin.
   
   
   
   
   
   Fig. 8: Drum brake components - 1995 vehicle shown
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Fig. 9: Exploded view of the drum brake components, removed
   from the vehicle
   
   To install:
   
   
9. Apply a light coating of caliper slide grease to the backing plate brake
   shoe contact areas.
   
10. Apply a light coat of lubricant to the threaded areas of the adjuster screw
    and socket. Assemble the brake adjuster with the stainless steel washer. Turn
    the socket all the way down on the screw, then back off 1?2 turn.
    
11. Install the parking brake lever to the trailing shoe with the spring washer
    and a new retaining clip. Crimp the clip to securely retain the lever.
    
12. Position the trailing shoe on the backing plate and attach the parking brake
    cable. Position the leading shoe on the backing plate and attach the lower
    retracting spring to the brake shoes.
    
13. Install the adjuster assembly to the slots in the brake shoes. The socket
    end must fit into the wider slot in the leading shoe. The slot in the adjuster
    nut must fit into the slots in the trailing shoe and parking brake lever.
    
    
    
    
    
    Fig. 10: Install the adjuster assembly in the slots in the
    brake shoes
    
    
    
    
    
14. Install the adjuster lever on the pin on the leading shoe and to the slot in
    the adjuster socket.
    
15. Install the upper retracting spring in the slot on the trailing shoe and the
    slot in the adjuster lever. The adjuster lever should contact the star and
    adjuster assembly.
    
16. Install the brake shoe anchor pins, springs and retainers. Remove the brake
    cylinder clamp tool
    
17. Install the brake drum, wheel and tire assemblies and lower the vehicle.
    
18. Apply the brakes several times while backing up the vehicle. After each
    stop, the vehicle must be moved forward.
    
    

Try these:
1. Most of the current shoe/drum systems on the rears have self-adjusters that are designed to advance the adjuster wheel when you back up briskly and slam on the brakes. You may need to push the flat metal self-adjuster tab out of the way of the starred adjust wheel. If you don't you can be only pushing on it so far and then it's just going to spring back.
Take a flashlight and look closely in the adjuster hole, see if you can find the metal tab. It will be on the far side away from the adjuster hole.
Push the tab farther away from the star wheel and then stick the adjuster tool in on the star wheel and give it another try.

2.You may be tightening the shoes into the drum instead of loosening them. Try turning the adjuster in the other direction.

3. Get some spray lube/ with a small tube to attach to the spray head.
Stick the spray tube in the adjuster hole and spray as much as you can of the adjuster.

Hope this gets the drums off for you...please let me know how it goes.

If you look on the side of the drum there is a rubber plug . Remove the plug and use a screwdriver to release the tension by turning the jacking screw.

There are cut outs on the back of the drums were you can adjust the star adjuster with a brake spoon or straight blade screwdriver. Sounds like you adjusters are out forcing the drums to get hung up.

You can adjust the shoes outward on the rear by removing the wheels and drums, then above the axle but below the wheel cylinder you will see an arm that is horizontal, pushing both of the shoes outwards. There should be an adjustment nut that you can turn to extend the arm to push the shoes out.

help is here:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/villagerquest/

Drum Removal

1. Remove the rear wheel and the tire assembly. Refer to Section 204-04 .

1. Retract the brake shoes and loosen the brake adjuster screw.

1. Remove the brake drum.

----------------------
May require big hammer to loosen drum from axle flange. Hit between the the lugs, not on them.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#10 is access plug to back off adjusting wheel.


Item Part Number Description 1 2261 Rear wheel cylinder 2 — Dust boot (part of 2128) 3 2197 Wheel cylinder piston (part of 2261) 4 — Cup (part of 2128) 5 2204 Wheel cylinder piston cup spring (part of 2128) 6 — Wheel cylinder housing (part of 2261) 7 — Brake shoe hold-down pin 8 — Access hole (part of 2212) 9 — Rear brake bleeder screw (part of 2261) 10 — Access hole plug 11 — Rear wheel cylinder bolt 12 2212 Rear brake backing plate 13 — Rear brake backing plate bolts 14 2N790 Parking brake lever clip 15 — Spring washer 16 — Secondary brake shoe and lining (part of 2200) 17 — Brake shoe hold-down spring (part of 2B514) 18 — Lower retracting spring (part of 2B514) 19 2A637 Parking brake lever 20 — Parking brake lever pin 21 2A177 Brake shoe adjusting lever 22 — Adjuster lever pin (part of 2A177) 23 — Primary brake shoe and lining (part of 2200) 24 — Upper retracting spring (part of 2B514) 25 2041 Brake adjuster screw

--------------
Shoes Removal

Take a picture and remember how each part goes and attaches

1. Remove the brake drum, refer to Drum in this section.

1. Remove the upper retracting spring.

1. Remove the lower retracting spring.

1. Remove the self-adjuster.

1. Remove the hold-down springs.

1. Remove the parking brake lever clip and the parking brake lever.

REMOVAL & INSTALLATION
If you are not thoroughly familiar with the procedures involved in brake replacement, only disassemble and assemble one side at a time, leaving the other wheel intact as a reference.
1983-88 Vehicles
See Figures 1, 2 and 3

1. Raise and safely support the rear of the vehicle with jackstands.
2. Remove the tire and wheel assembly.
3. Remove the brake drum, as outlined earlier in this section.
4. Place Brake Cylinder Clamp D81L-1103-B or equivalent, over the ends of the brake cylinder.

CAUTIONBe careful that the springs do not slip off the tool during removal, as they could cause personal injury.

1. Remove the shoe-to-anchor springs, using Brake Shoe R and R Spring BT-11, or equivalent, then unhook the cable eye from the anchor pin.

Fig. 1: Place the brake clamp tool over the ends of the wheel cylinder, then remove the shoe-to-anchor springs using the correct tool

1. Remove the shoe guide (anchor pin) plate.
2. Remove the shoe hold-down springs, shoes, adjusting screws, pivot nut, socket and automatic adjustment parts.
3. Remove the parking brake link, spring and retainer. Disconnect the parking brake cable from the parking brake lever.
4. After removing the secondary brake shoe, disassembly the parking brake lever from the shoe by removing the retaining clip and spring washer.

Fig. 2: View of the drum brake components-1983-88 9-inch brake shown Fig. 3: View of the drum brake components-1983-88 10-inch brake shownTo install:

1. The brake cable must be connected to the secondary brake shoe before the shoe is installed on the backing plate. To do this, first transfer the parking brake lever from the old secondary shoe to the new one. This is accomplished by spreading the bottom of the horseshoe clip and disengaging the lever. Position the lever on the new secondary shoe and install the spring washer and the horseshoe clip. Close the bottom of the clip after installing it. Grasp the metal tip of the parking brake cable with a pair of pliers. Position a pair of side cutter pliers on the end of the cable coil spring, and using the plier as a fulcrum, pull the coil spring back with the side cutters. Position the cable in the parking brake lever.
2. Apply a light coating of high temperature grease to the brake shoe contact points on the backing plate. Position the primary brake shoe on the front of the backing plate and install the hold-down spring and washer over the mounting pin. Install the secondary shoe on the rear of the backing plate.
3. Install the parking brake link between the notch in the primary brake shoe and the notch in the parking brake lever.
4. Install the automatic adjuster cable loop end on the anchor pin. Make sure the crimped side of the loop faces the backing plate.
5. Install the return spring in the primary brake shoe and, using the tapered end of the brake spring service tool, slide the top of the spring onto the anchor pin.

CAUTIONBe careful to make sure that the spring does not slip off the tool during installation, as it could cause injury.

1. Install the automatic adjuster cable guide in the secondary brake shoe, making sure the flared hole in the cable guide is inside the hole in the brake shoe. Fit the cable into the groove in the top of the cable guide.
2. Install the secondary shoe return spring through the hole in the cable guide and the brake shoe. Using the brake spring tool, slide the top of the spring onto the anchor pin.
3. Clean the threads on the adjusting screw and apply a light coating of high temperature grease to the threads. Screw the adjuster closed, then open it 1/2 turn.
4. Install the adjusting screw between the brake shoes with the star wheel nearest to the secondary shoe. Make sure the star wheel is in a position that is accessible from the adjusting slot in the backing plate.
5. Install the short hooked end of the automatic adjuster spring in the proper hole in the primary brake shoe.
6. Connect the hooked end of the automatic adjuster cable and the free end of the automatic adjuster spring in the slot in the top of the automatic adjuster lever.
7. Pull the automatic adjuster lever (the lever will pull the cable and spring with it) downward and to the left and engage the pivot hook of the lever in the hole in the secondary brake shoe.
8. Check the entire brake assembly to make sure that everything is installed properly. Make sure that the shoes engage the wheel cylinder properly and are flush on the anchor pin. Make sure that the automatic adjuster cable is flush on the anchor pin and in the slot on the back of the cable guide. Make sure that the adjusting lever rests on the adjusting screw star wheel. Pull upward on the adjusting cable until the adjusting lever is free of the star wheel, then release the cable. The adjusting lever should snap back into place on the adjusting screw star wheel and turn the wheel one tooth.
9. Expand the brake adjusting screw until the brake drum will just fit over the brake shoes.
10. Install the brake drum and wheel and tire assembly, then adjust the brakes.
11. Carefully lower the vehicle.

make sure your star wheel is moving freely. usually located at the bottom betwwen the shoes that's your adjuster and when it seizes up then you lose adjust