Hi all,
 I'm doing a rear brake job on my 84.  Found one slightly weeping wheel
cylinder, so I have a replacement for that as well as new shoes for both
rears.  When I replace the wheel cylinder, do I have to do a complete bleed?
Including the clutch?  Or just bleed that one wheel's line?

 Second question:  I notice the old shoes are very worn on the "top"  and
almost full thickness still at the "bottom".  "top" meaning the end of the
shoes that are at the top of the drum next to the wheel cylinder.  One wheel
is pretty radical...not the one with the leaky cylinder, BTW.      The other
is not quite so bad..with about 3/4 thickness on the shoe at the bottom and
perhaps a mm or two of lining left at the cylinder end.

  Is that somewhat normal?  Did the PO get the shoes in there wrong?  Seems
like the wear should be more even around the whole radius of the shoes, but
these, it looks like the cylinder end is doing most of the work of stopping
and taking most of the wear.

  Well, off to have the drums turned and hopefully I'll have an answer
waiting...fingers crossed... so I can do the job correctly and finish this
afternoon.

 Thanks,  Don Hanson

If it helps, my parking brake barely holds the van on a 5-6% grade when
pulled on as hard as I can get it..it seems to be adjusted ok, just no
holding power.  I read the mechanical leverage on the older (84) E-brake
handle is not great, but mine it almost not functioning...and I have a horse
gate to open and close each  time up my drive, one on a 5% grade...