Rear brake drum adjustment on replacement

Pinkythelabrat

Pinkythelabrat

A2OC Donor
Good afternoon,

I’ve just replaced one of my rear brake drums and fitted the replacement after a little clean up. It was pretty snug but went on.

Now it seems to have seized up. Is there an adjustment mechanism in there when you replace the drum? I couldn’t see one and the manual only said to loosen the handbrake adjuster and pump the brake a few times.

It will turn with the weight of the car forcing it but it didn’t free up after a few metres back and forth.

Help! Help help!


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If all parts are clean and lubricated on the right places.... the selfadjusting tapered pin should adjust brake band to correct position.

Is it possible that your hand brake wire is to tight?

There are also three small flat slide pads that is located so the inner side face of the brake band on each side, can rest and slide on them. If you have cleaned with wire brush or water jet... these might have been removed or damaged.
That can lead to that bands are not pushing perpendicular to the drum and lead to jam...
 
dieselfan said:
If all parts are clean and lubricated on the right places.... the selfadjusting tapered pin
Is it possible that your hand brake wire is to tight?

There are also three small flat slide pads that is located so the inner side face of the brake band on each side, can rest and slide on them. If you have cleaned with wire brush or water jet... these might have been removed or damaged.
That can lead to that bands are not pushing perpendicular to the drum and lead to jam...
[/QU
FA1DB62B-3C07-4F83-82BE-D6F4B1CD5F82.png
OTE]
Like this:
Click to expand...
 
Worth giving it a few mile road test and retry if not the shoe adjuster will need backing off a touch
 
I’m in agreement. Run it for a few miles abs see if it beds in. If still tight after the drum as cooled down (It will be hot after a few miles of binding). Then the adjuster will need to be manually backed off

Getting the drum off to giggle with the adjuster will be a levers and soft hammer job and lots of swearing

Paul


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Great info!!

Also whilst you have the drums off check the adjustments wedges are facing the correct way with the "nipple" facing the backplate
 
Also make sure that the shoes are correctly located on the slave cylinder pistons. The step on the piston must face out and locate on the outer face of the shoes, note some slave cylinders have a slot that the shoe must fit in instead. If not the shoe can jump off the piston and wedge itself so that it does not release properly.
 
You can just about see the outer edge of the step in this picture...

1611246029070.png


and this shows the step...

1611246282120.png
 
Thanks folks.

I’ll have a look at the manuals.

I gave it a clean with only a soft brush and didn’t attack it but getting the old drum off was as Paul described (levers, rubber mallet and swearing) and when it eventually came off one of the brake shoes was uncoupled (the spring and hold down were free) so perhaps something got shifted.

I hope it frees itself. Getting the old drum off was bad enough and it only rubbed once a revolution!


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Not much help now but if you look at the drum with the wheel off. Through a wheel bolt hole you can rotate the drum to expose the adjustment wedge. Then using a screwdriver that fits through the bolt hole push the adjustment wedge upwards. This in turn retracts the shoes to make getting them off easier. What is normally the issue is the shoes wear into the drum but not over the whole surface and end up being sunk into the drum with a lip on the inside edge of the drum. This is the lip you need to maneuver the shoes over to release the drum. What I have done in the past is after pushing the adjuster wedge all the way up, again through the wheel bolt holes try to retract one of the shoes as far as possible into the slave cylinder. I then try to get that side of the drum up onto that shoe. I then try to get the other shoe retracted and the drum up onto that. Doesn't always work but worth 10-15 minutes before resorting to the levers and hammers.
 
Thanks bud. I’m watching videos on YouTube now. If I can get the drum to rotate after getting the wheel off I’ll try to push the wedge up.

I’m thinking if I can get it to move at all I’ll be winning.


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So just to clarify. ALL you have done is remove a rear drum and replaced it with a new one. Did you check the shoes for a wear ridge and remove that before fitting the drum. Did you make sure the hand brake was RELEASED before you started. Were the shoes centralised on the slave and lower pivots. I am betting on the wear lip / ridge being forced into the drum by the adjuster due to the shoes flexing on the springs.
 
A picture Near Side Rear ( with drum off ) showing where to lift the adjuster wedge....

1611269306762.jpeg
 
Last edited:
That picture is fantastic. Thank you.

I released the handbrake and wound off the adjuster to be sure it was released (no tension in the block) before starting.

The pads are one year (and about 3000 miles) old. There was no wear lip on them at all. The old drum was very rusted and nasty looking but no obvious wear ridge on the inside. I got some new ones from someone doing a disk upgrade (a few 1000 miles on them only) when my garage suggested they thought the old ones were warped (it was actually the front brakes which were causing the issue on braking).

I think perhaps the wedge has dropped when I’ve been juggling the old shoes off and new shoes on so I’ll get the wheel back off and try to poke the wedge up a bit. Hopefully I can get it to move enough.

Thanks very much.


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Not a great outcome unfortunately.

It’s -6 here today but I’ve an MOT on Friday so I went out to sort this car.

The drum freed up with a couple of (gentle) taps with the rubber mallet and I managed to get a screwdriver in and free the @audifan wedge. The drum then turned quite freely with a bit of rubbing and I could pull it off without even levering! So far so good.

I made sure the wedge was fully up. Everything seemed to be where it was meant to. I put the drum back on and tightened it down. It started to rub a bit once it was tightened down but nowhere near as bad as yesterday.

Went for a half mile run (30mph) and then touched the drum with my (licked) finger and it ‘hissed’ - sizzling hot. By the time I got home the paint on the drum (not me) was bubbling and the whole alloy was quite warm as well.

I’m going to have to surrender and ask the garage to take this one I think.

Darn you Chrisfix for giving me misplaced confidence!


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How old are your handbrake cables
Are they moving free
Is the lever the hand brake cable attaches to fully retracted and free
Pinkythelabrat said:
Not a great outcome unfortunately.

It’s -6 here today but I’ve an MOT on Friday so I went out to sort this car.

The drum freed up with a couple of (gentle) taps with the rubber mallet and I managed to get a screwdriver in and free the @audifan wedge. The drum then turned quite freely with a bit of rubbing and I could pull it off without even levering! So far so good.

I made sure the wedge was fully up. Everything seemed to be where it was meant to. I put the drum back on and tightened it down. It started to rub a bit once it was tightened down but nowhere near as bad as yesterday.

Went for a half mile run (30mph) and then touched the drum with my (licked) finger and it ‘hissed’ - sizzling hot. By the time I got home the paint on the drum (not me) was bubbling and the whole alloy was quite warm as well.

I’m going to have to surrender and ask the garage to take this one I think.

Darn you Chrisfix for giving me misplaced confidence!


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Click to expand...
How old are your handbrake cables
Are they moving free + do the springs force back the lever
Is the lever the hand brake cable attaches to fully retracted and free moving
 
After replacing the drum you need to 'centre' the shoes, adjust the brakes and check the handbrake.
To centre the shoes simply hit the drum gently with the rubber mallet as you turn it a few times. Then apply the brakes a couple of times using the pedal and repeat. This will adjust the shoes and give the optimum clearance. After this has been completed check the handbrake operation and if necessary adjust so that it just starts to operate on the second click.

Also check that the cables are free as suggested by Weetank2.
 
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