Handbrake

They are rubbish at stopping, they are very heavy and when it cost me £85 for new drums and nearly £40 for new shoes they aren't really any cheaper and definitely less reliable

Chris
 
john-wingnut said:
I put new shoes in the drums 2 weeks back. So that part is new with the shoes, so shouldnt be that.
Also with handbrake off and pressing the brake pedal the releasing it binds still.
I have ordered new drums, and internal fittings, saves future hassle
John
Click to expand...


John,

If the lever arm is moving freely about an [B]inch[/B] at the bottom end of the arm when the handbrake is operated and the return spring (or any other spring) is not broken or missing then the only other thing it can be is the self adjusting wedge being a little too tight.
I really do not see how changing the drum will make any difference. :confused:


Regards
Mike
:)
 
Im changing the drum as they are lipped, and the one involved got so hot, and I mean very hot, could poss have got warped so im changing them.
Got two pagid ones from euro car parts for £50
Im changing the internals including the wedge as I did think that.
After its all changed this weekend we'll see what happens
John
 
Here we go, as promised i think they look good and they are very shiny in metallic black! i think they will look good on the car

Chris

DSC03543.jpgDSC03540.jpg
 
Wow, they look fantastic! I'd love to get this done - how would I go about it? I tried hammerite but rusted up again after a couple of months - looks awful....
 
I had them powder coated as i have had unsuccessful results with hammerite. I think hammerite works well if you apply it to a non rusted metal and coat it thickly but despite being direct to rust paint it doesn't seem to seal very well when put on rusty metal. I chose to go for powder coating as it is tougher than any paint i could apply and should keep my £80 investment (drums) looking new

Chris
 
When re-building your rear drum brake assembly, don't forget to apply a copper based grease to all pivot points as well as on the little white plastic Teflon pads that the shoes rest and slide on when operated. As always a small amount will do the trick.
Also, and contrary to expectation, provided a drum brake operates within it's designed temperature range, they provide superior braking than a disc set-up, and a far better parking/emergency brake.
Discs are used on front axles due to a higher demand and corresponding higher temperatures. Manufacturers fit discs on rear axles of "average" cars primarily for aesthetic and marketing value. The other disadvantages of drums are that they require more time and effort to service and have more mechanical components and require a little more competency in their servicing.

blue skies
tony
 
Yes, they do work well when in the correct temperature range but they heat up so quickly and because a drum is a solid piece of metal it is hard to dissipate the heat and there are no air channels running to it to cool it down. I was washing the car the other day after a long journey and there was steam coming of the drums when i ran the hose over them!!

Chris
 
Chris.
How much did it cost you to get them powder coated? And where did you get it done - if you dont mind me asking

John
 
John
There is a crowd in Bletchley that can blast and powder them for you, they do work for us at the college. I can get you the details next week when I'm back at work.

Chris
I take it your car was loaded if you got steam from water contact on the drums, sounds like they got too hot. As far as the reliability factor of drums, you are correct, their major draw back is that they cannot dissipate heat to the atmosphere as effectively as discs. Manufacturers tried better cooling by moulding fins on the drums to increase surface area and improve the cooling.

blue skies
Tony
 
I got my powder coating done in camberley, but Tonys recommendation sounds great for you as bletchley is so close to milton keynes. If you have just bought new drums then i would recommend getting it done @tony, the car was pretty fully loaded but i think one of the drums is binding slightly which could lead to an increase in heat but they are all being refurbed tommorow so hopefully it will solve all my problems and i will live happily ever after!!

Chris
 
Chris drums look great,i was looking at changing mine (drums) as i've had my car 4 1/2 yrs now and not done anything but one brake cylinder. Well you all say thats drums are crap for braking well just got mine MOT'd and the guy testing said the brake test was the highest he's seen for a small car (ie its got the braking power of a big car), hand brakes on after two clicks and i can only get three at a push. Remember the cars light and most of the brake bias is to the front so your rears don't do alot of the braking. My front pads have still got loads of meat on them as well after nearly 50K of miles (they was changed just before i bought the car)

Phil
 
Well after replacing all the internal fittings, drums, wheel cylinders and cleaning and lubricating bits, my brakes appear to be working properly now!!!

Think I'll let them settle for a week or so before adjusting the actual handbrake
 
My handbrake still does not lock up the back wheels, i have tried tightening the handbrake but it seems to loosen again after a few hard pulls. should i try to tighten it further?

Chris
 
You prob need to check the workings in the drums. Could be the auto adjust mechanism or something.

The audi workshop manual says you pull the handbrake on by 4 clicks. Then tighten the adjuster bolt until the rear wheels are difficult to turn by hand

John
 
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