Step 6Examine the shoe anchor. Support plate, and small parts for signs or looseness, wear, or damage that could cause faulty shoe alignment. Check springs for spread or collapsed coils, twisted or nicked shanks, and severe discoloration. Operate star wheel automatic adjusters by prying the shoe lightly away from its anchor or by pulling the cable to make sure the adjuster advances easily, one notch at a time. Adjuster cables tend to stretch, and star wheels and pawls become blunted after a long period of use. For rear-axle parking brakes, pull on the cable and shoe linkage to make sure no binding condition is present that could cause the shoes to drag when the parking brake is released.