My girlfriend drove approx 20-30 miles w/ the E-Brake on. Now the E-brake doesn't hold the car. Also, I cannot remove the drums...These are self adjusting shoes, right! B/C there is no adjusting wheel at the bottom of the drum housing. So, any ideas on how to check the shoes & tighten the emergency brake. The car needs to go in for inspection so I would like to fix/be aware of any problems before it goes in!

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanx

There should be a knockout hole for the adjustment wheel at the bottom of the backing plate. You should be able to see the outline for it. If you can't see it, use a wire brush or something to scrape the grunge off of the backing plate. Take a punch & hammer to it, knock it through, and back off the adjuster. If you purchase a new hardware kit for the brakes, a rubber plug should be included with the kit.

If the brakes were applied for that long, there's a possibility that you'll find stress cracks on the shoes. Check the drums carefully while you're at it. There's nothing quite like having a drum shatter on you under heavy braking during a spirited romp through the backroads... (long story, let's just say I don't resurface drums or rotors any more)

Thanx, there are two oval holes but both w/ metal covers. I'll see if I can punch the cover out.

Thanx!