Rear Brake Drums

[GDPR]

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OK - here's my threepennyworth.....

Nothing wrong with the rear brakes on a Stag - plenty wrong with a worn out rear brake on a Stag!!

The condition of the internal handbrake operating mechanism is paramount to the successful function of the brake, and it is the most overlooked part when servicing - if it is clapped out, like most are, then you have no hope of ever getting a decent handbrake.

They seize and only move one shoe, or the pivot pin wears out and gives too much free movement before expanding the shoes, and also the ends where the mechanism touches the shoes wears.

Also people overlook the wear lip on the inside of the drum - you click the self-adjusters out until you can just slip the drums on....only most people forget to DISCONNECT the handbrake cable before they do this, and also the wear ridge gives a false adjustment.

I always grind the ridge off with a small angle grinder - this gives me a fighting chance.

Only after the rear brakes are correctly assembled and adjusted up do you reconnect the handbrake cable.

You might have decent brakes then....

Russ

[jamcarr2]

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kryten wrote:

I haven't known many handbrake cables to stretch beyond adjustment, but I have frequently known the handbrake mechanisms (519070 and 071) in the drums to wear out or seize at the pivot and create the same effect.

Be really careful you are not replacing a perfectly serviceable part because you believe it to be stretched beyond use and the issue is elsewhere.

Just an observation

Russ:dude:

I can vouch for that I spent best part of a day changing the handbrake cable just to find out it was seized adjusters :X

JOHN

[martin]

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Hi Russ,your threepennyworth isvery much appreciated, the trouble is, I've done all those things for Years, on mine, and others cars. The shoes are less than a year old, the handbrake links, wherethey touch the shoes still have a slight convex shape andare free, in fact, still havetheir cad plating,the auto adjusters are free to move and are not worn, the cables are sound and not stretched, I do take the wear ridge into account when setting the adjusters - one click at a time - and it's all done with the cables disconnected. :?

Everything works as it should, I have a good handbrake and pedal travel is acceptable, then a few months later I have to run through the whole bloody procedure again. The adjusters make fitting new shoes - in relative terms - a nightmare. My old girl does 10.000 to 12.000 milesa year, but even so I think they need too much attention. I've gone on a bit haven't I - sorry. PLEASE comment. Martin.

[GDPR]

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We are spoiled by our modern cars Martin - having been brought up in the motor trade on our kind of cars, I can tell you that's how they are, that's how they were made and that's what I had to do on a 6000 service - every service!!

You should be quite good at it by now then so just do it periodically and enjoy it - you can't really improve on it

Russ:dude:

[martin]

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One of the things I like so much about the Stag, is that most things can be mended, if naff, can be improved (ignition etc.) but those back brakes ! ! In evolutionary terms I think designers should have gone from manually adjusted brakes to discs - and missed out that bit in the middle. I shall absorb your comments and soldier on. Martin.

[GDPR]

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Or stick a complete E30 back end in....... I think I'll leave that one until my diff goes bang in a big way...

Just bear in mind the exact same brake design continued with the SD1 Rover right up to the end of production on ALL models......