General 16V Mk2 brake shoes and handbrake adjustment

[Kirok]

I know there are lots of these threads but didn't find exactly what I was looking for so..

I've followed the information on the many threads here and the Haynes manual and changed the rear drums and shoes on my 16V Mk2. It has self adjuster bar mechanisms that sit between each pair of shoes above the wheel hub.

I wound these adjusters right back in and had the handbrake cables loose before refitting the new shoes and drums.

With everything fitted and the rear wheels in the air I then pressed the pedal about 15 times to set the adjusters and then adjusted the handbrake nut under the rear ash tray. However with the handbrake applied the left rear wheel is solid but the rear right can be turned quite easily. I thought the adjusters did this adjustment automatically? Do I need to set the adjusters mechanisms by hand?

Here's a couple of pictures before I started the job and you can see that the left and right adjuster rods aren't fitted the same way round. Does this matter?

 

[multipete]

Hope you made sure the adjusters in the drums were free and lubed before refitting.The self adjusters don't work very well and yes,you do need to loosen the handbrake cables and adjust the ratchet wheels manually with a screw driver or similar,then re adjust the handbrake cables inside the car. .....As for the adjusters,not sure but if they force the shoes out when adjusting,they should be correct.

 

[judderbar]

I know there are lots of these threads but didn't find exactly what I was looking for so..

I've followed the information on the many threads here and the Haynes manual and changed the rear drums and shoes on my 16V Mk2. It has self adjuster bar mechanisms that sit between each pair of shoes above the wheel hub.

I wound these adjusters right back in and had the handbrake cables loose before refitting the new shoes and drums.

With everything fitted and the rear wheels in the air I then pressed the pedal about 15 times to set the adjusters and then adjusted the handbrake nut under the rear ash tray. However with the handbrake applied the left rear wheel is solid but the rear right can be turned quite easily. I thought the adjusters did this adjustment automatically? Do I need to set the adjusters mechanisms by hand?

Here's a couple of pictures before I started the job and you can see that the left and right adjuster rods aren't fitted the same way round. Does this matter?

The handbrake mechanism is opening the lower end of the brake shoes and the adjusters and cylinders are opening the top end of the brake shoes.

So only the pedal travel is adjusted automatically as the shoes wear. On my ABS car I still have the original shoes after 130,000 miles. I almost never adjust the rear shoes but I must have to eventually as the shoes wear. With ABS almost all of the braking is at the front.

Your handbrake problem must be related to something to do with the handbrake mechanism in the brake drum assembled wrong or rust in the cables or something like that.

 

[Kirok]

Thanks for the reply judderbar. I think you're right it must be something to do with the handbrake mechanism, however the handbrake was working fine before the shoes were changed. Cables seem free to move and are corrosion free. I wonder if it might be something about the new shoes which is causing the problem. The brakes seem to work as well as before and I also bled the system as a precaution. Looks like I'll be back into the brakes again..

Pictures show the rhs brakes after being replaced.

https://www.fiatforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=190784&stc=1&d=1526280236

 

[multipete]

Check the movement of the handbrake cables at the handbrake when you lift and lower the hand brake. They should both move the same amount. The one that moves the least is the one that needs looking at.

 

[Kirok]

Thanks for the pointers everyone, much appreciated.
Turns out it was the adjusters or at least one of them not adjusting at the same rate as the other even after pressing the foot brake many times to 'automatically' set the brake shoes. Adjusting the handbrake after this procedure meant that the handbrake pivot points inside the drums were at different positions ie not matched and so one worked well and the other not much at all. Solution was to set the adjusters manually so the road wheels can just spin freely and then adjust the handbrake. I'll replace the adjusters later.