Rear Wheel Cylinders - Any tips

[milothedog]

I have a diffident way of setting up the rear brakes that works for me. I don't disconnect the hand brake cable at all, just ensure it's fully returned then put a long thin screw driver down the back of the shoe and click the ratchet forward a click at a time until I'm happy with the shoe to drum clearance, much quicker and easier. on the rolling road the readings are always about 80% + of the service brake which is fine as it only needs to be 16% to pass a test.

Ian

[Goldstar]

OK some progress, albeit slow.

Got the rear pipes off ready to drop the rear subframe- bit of a fight but got there in the end. Decided that the diff carrier needs a longer soak in PlusGas so decided to take the OS trailing arm off. Easy peasy - just disconnect the driveshaft from the diff and then offer violence of the 'grinder with a cutting disc' variety to the bolts holding the trailing arms to the subframe brackets.

Pah. 2 of the driveshaft to diff bolts were set solid and you all know the limited access available once they start to round off. So after a while I got bored of trying to undo them and cut the heads of the *******s, popped the stub of the bolt through and voila as Don might say. Cut the nuts off the 2 bracket bolts and off it came. Hurrah - felt good. Now I can tidy them up, re-bush and put to one side. Hopefully the NS will be a bit easier as I had the driveshaft off a while ago to put a new gaiter on....famous last words. Nutsplitter purchase tomorrow just in case the diff hanger doesn't yield to plus gas. Would I be OK trying the impact wrench first do you think? Really don't want to replace those bolts - I saw a thread with it in - not what I had in mind when I started the rebush.....

[elvimto]

When I did my rear brakes and also the drive shafts I assembled the brake parts to the back plate on the bench then fitted up the brake assembly then fitted in the drive shaft through the plate the only bit I had to move was one of the brake springs then it was just a case of putting in the six bolts to hold the back plate to the trailing arm in place, a bit fiddly but it was quite easy to do.

cheers Stuart

[Mike Stevens]

Fitting the cylinder clip can be a but of a pain but there is a tool that make it very easy. It's a small puller than screws into the pipe hole and then is wound up to pull the clip into place.

When I did mine last year I was lucky to be able to borrow one from my neighbour but I believe them to be available - from MG specialists I think.

A nut splitter is a very useful tool which I have used many times to save the bolt thread. As long as you have suitable access they are very quick and easy to use!

Cheers,
Mike.

[davidf]

I always forget the sequence of dismantling/re-assembling rear brakes until I am on my 7th atttmept on the second wheel, so last time, I wrote this down

1Stripping

Remove wheel
Place car in gear
Remove brake drum, and take care to note its alignment (do not turn 180°)
Remove shoe retainers, springs and pins
Disengage top of shoes, and remove top spring
Disengage lower end of front (adjusting) shoe, and remove – unhooking the release spring from the rear shoe
Remove split pin and clevis pin from handbrake linkage
Extract handbrake link from rear shoe, the disengage handbrake spring from shoe.

Wheel cylinder
Loosen the retaining nut on the pipe
Loosen the bleed nipple
Using small screwdrivers (one inside the clip, one under the tip), lever out the rear circlip
Remove the bleed nipple
Undo the pipe

2Re-assembly

Wheel cylinder
Remove the bleed nipple
Hold in position, and start the pipe retaining nut in the port
Apply the circlip, tips toward the backplate, and one tip round the boss
Using one small screwdriver, lever the other tip over the boss.
Using 2 small screwdrivers, lever both tips down to the groove
Insert the bleed nipple, and tighten the pipe nut.
Check the alignment of the shoe grooves in the ends

Shoes
Locate hand-brake spring on the front of the link, and in the rear shoe
Hold rear shoe in place, and insert handbrake linkage
Assemble lower release spring to the front (adjusting) shoe
Locate lower release spring in rear shoe (same hole as handbrake spring), then pull front shoe into place
Locate upper spring behind both shoes, then engage both shoes in top guide.
Refit retaining springs and pins
Replace split pin and clevis pin in handbrake linkage
Adjust until you can just fit the brake drum
Bleed brakes and refit wheels

[Goldstar]

Very useful thanks guys. Work for the bench by the look of it.

NS trailing arm and driveshaft to come off tomorrow night (away from the garage tonight) and then the diff carrier attack will start. Applied heat and Plus Gas (again) last night but no joy. Left it in more PLusGas and will review tomorrow night. Nut splitter at the ready. Access is good. Bit nervous about using it - tried one on the trailing arm nut last night and it didn't so much split as crush a nut splitter shaped vee into the nut. I'm concerned that a corroded nut will behave like that rather than splitting. Any mileage in starting with a hacksaw to strt the split? Cold use the grinder to weaken in extremis but am obviously nervous about that approach.

[stagmuffin]

Very useful thanks guys. Work for the bench by the look of it.

NS trailing arm and driveshaft to come off tomorrow night (away from the garage tonight) and then the diff carrier attack will start. Applied heat and Plus Gas (again) last night but no joy. Left it in more PLusGas and will review tomorrow night. Nut splitter at the ready. Access is good. Bit nervous about using it - tried one on the trailing arm nut last night and it didn't so much split as crush a nut splitter shaped vee into the nut. I'm concerned that a corroded nut will behave like that rather than splitting. Any mileage in starting with a hacksaw to strt the split? Cold use the grinder to weaken in extremis but am obviously nervous about that approach.

nutsplitter will do the job never had one fail.try at 90 deg from the first cut to help weaken it it wont kill any thing but the nut.no hack saw.to much chance of damage unless you are certain and proficient.

steve

[Goldstar]

unless you are certain and proficient.

steve

That'll be the nutsplitter then...

[Mike Stevens]

The nutsplitters I have do make a 'V' notch in the flat of the nut. However, it does go right into the nut and that makes the nut loosen it's grip on the thread and it can then usually be undone.

Those rear diff carrier nuts are only 3/8" UNF (9/16" spanner size) so not very big. I have in the past heaved on one and broke the weld that held the pin at the top. That was in an estate so a large hole had to be cut to get to the top to re-weld the stud and a plate welded back over the hole!.....Definately use the nut splitter!

Cheers,
Mike.

[Goldstar]

Mike I have an impact wrench and 9/16 socket, what do you think? As you say I don't want to shear it either at the top or at the bottom!!

[Mike Stevens]

Mike I have an impact wrench and 9/16 socket, what do you think? As you say I don't want to shear it either at the top or at the bottom!!

For the sake of one nyloc nut, I'd use a nut splitter! There should be no problems with access.

CW sells the big washers there in stainless steel. Just something else to think about!

Cheers,
Mike.

[Goldstar]

Hi Mike, it's not the nut I'm worried about I would chew that off if I could. It's damaging (and having to replace) the stud!! You're right, access is good. The odd thing is that the washers look like they are stainless, why whoever did the work and went to the trouble of using stainless washers, didn't protect the diff carrier nuts is the obvious question.

Anyway that should keep me out in the garage tomorrow night. Hopefully diff off then I can get on with new oil seal, quill shaft bearing and rebushing - oh and the cleaning and hammeriting of all the back end to smarten it up (read Dave - StagnJags thread on this topic last night so a result like his would be good) oh and then tidying up the couple of small holes I have found. Thank Mr Machine Mart for my 200,000 btu space heater...

[malc4d]

Helppppppp

DAMMMMM.....
Just bought new rear shoes.........Shouldn't they have the adjuster parts on 2 of them.....Don't tell me that l have to dismantle the old ones....rust and dust and all ?
Or did the give me the wrong ones.....

[Goldstar]

Sorry but you guessed it. You can buy them but they are pricey. Easy job but make sure you put them (and the springs on) in the right alignment. If you assume the adjuster is a bird, the beak faces the outside of the hub

[malc4d]

Jeeeeeezzz
This getting only half the bit and the other half of bits not fitting.....is getting really really old now.
good job it was green bin today and not black bin. Why cant they tell you that when you pick them up ??........just wasted 3 hrs, 1 of them with the cylinder clip the rest with new springs that aren't bent like the originals and now no adjuster bits aaaaaaggggggh.