Hi,

MOT failed = ineffective handbrake.

Tightened cable, o/s functioning but not n/s.

Took off the brake drum, gave it a clean with some sandpaper and a wire brush. But when I re-fitted it the whole thing has seized somehow?! Now with the drum fitted it won't even turn. Have tried freeing off the bit where the handbrake joins the back of the hub with wd40 and loosening the handbrake cable, but it's like the return mechanism isn't doing its job and the shoes are stuck in the "pressed out" position?

Any ideas guys?

Angus

did you fit both top springs back correctly?

Common mistake that the novice makes on rear brakes is they don't do anything to the adjuster. Take off rear drums again & make sure adjuster is not seized. Lubricate & use white grease or copper grease.

jimboy said:

Common mistake that the novice makes on rear brakes is they don't do anything to the adjuster. Take off rear drums again & make sure adjuster is not seized. Lubricate & use white grease or copper grease.

Click to expand...

Haha that is exactly what I had done! Got it set correctly now so at least the car can be driven!

The brake itself is still ineffective though!

O/S brake drum is gripping after one click of the handbrake ratchet, fully locked after four or five.

N/S is barely gripping at all on five clicks. And there is still plenty left on the brake shoes!

Any ideas please guys?

Are both sides just clear of the drums..?
I suspect youve got extra clearance one side...

varesecrazy said:

Are both sides just clear of the drums..?
I suspect youve got extra clearance one side...

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Yes clearly the nearside has extra clearance (lol).

But I can't figure out why? The shoes have a good few mms left on them, and even if I set the adjuster as far out as it will go the nearside one is barely gripping...?

What you need to do is, make sure both sides are just scraping the drum, to achieve this the adjusters must be free & ready to go. Drums on then pump brake pedal sharply say ten fifteen times & see how the brakes feel after that.

jimboy said:

What you need to do is, make sure both sides are just scraping the drum, to achieve this the adjusters must be free & ready to go. Drums on then pump brake pedal sharply say ten fifteen times & see how the brakes feel after that.

Click to expand...

Worth a try..

that'll only get to the end of adjuster travel.. if the drum is worn over the service limit you may not get there.., any noticeable "lipping"?

:idea: swap drums over if problem is then on RHS it's the drum.. if still on the left you know where to concentrate your efforts..,

I had exactly the same issue recently, I took off the self adjuster and cleaned it, put it all back and still the same, my problem was the trailing shoe, the lever that the handbrake cable fits onto was seized in the pivot hole in the top of the shoe, took it apart, cleaned it and now perfect, With the drum on, pull the handbrake,release it, then take off the drum and see if the actuating lever is returning to the "off" position, if it's not lever it back and see how stiff it is.

Perhaps I'm thinking you've looked at the obvious points first. Worn drums or seized parts. Perhaps I've thought this had been dealt with. To be honest there are only a few things that can cause the rear brakes not to function properly. Without seeing the shoes, drums or the state of moving parts, I can only guess.

jimboy said:

What you need to do is, make sure both sides are just scraping the drum, to achieve this the adjusters must be free & ready to go. Drums on then pump brake pedal sharply say ten fifteen times & see how the brakes feel after that.

Click to expand...

Nice one! A re-read of the Haynes manual reveals that may be where I went wrong; omitting this step. Hopefully those pumps of the pedal will get the adjusters set correctly I suppose!

Thanks mate

jimboy said:

Perhaps I'm thinking you've looked at the obvious points first. Worn drums or seized parts. Perhaps I've thought this had been dealt with. To be honest there are only a few things that can cause the rear brakes not to function properly. Without seeing the shoes, drums or the state of moving parts, I can only guess.

Click to expand...

Yeah clearly there is only so much help you can give me by writing on an internet forum, but appreciate the answer nonetheless!

varesecrazy said:

Worth a try..

that'll only get to the end of adjuster travel.. if the drum is worn over the service limit you may not get there.., any noticeable "lipping"?

:idea: swap drums over if problem is then on RHS it's the drum.. if still on the left you know where to concentrate your efforts..,

Click to expand...

No obvious lipping or deep scores on the drums and plenty left in the shoes. I think I simply forgot to pump the pedals immediately after cleaning and re-fitting the drums.

Let's hope it doesn't come to swapping them hahaha got a few other things to fix before Friday for my free re-test :bang:

Glad you've fixed your brakes. As I say it's only easy when you know the answer. It's a learning process, I've been with cars for over 45 years & every now & again I kind of lose the head a bit, mainly down to the dreaded rust/corrosion which can even add days to the job in hand. I speak to myself some chosen words:bang: cup of coffee, then off I go again.

The Haynes manual is a good starting point. Wont tell you everything & it's a bit of a bugger to make out the pic's at times, but a good starting point non the less.

Happy motoring.....