Thread: Brakes

Have got my 109 running but brakes are dodgy -I need to pump the pedal for them to grip (which they then do pretty well).

Does the pumping mean I have a leak in the hoses ?

Cheers, Jonathan

G'day Jonathan,
Most probably it means that the shoes need to be adjusted closer to the drums.

Unfortunately the Land Rover workshop manuals are inadequate when it comes to brakes; not even showing useful diagrams of how to assemble them! However; there are several websites which are very useful; check this one which had a very good article on assembly, although I couldn't find it just now with a quick look Expedition Land Rover site Also; google the Land Rover S2 Club UK, which has a good page on brakes.

If you inspect the whole brake system closely for dampness or leaks, then that will need attending to as well. If any of the brake pipes have rust on them, they will need replacing.

Once you have read some instructions remove the brake drums and inspect the wheel cylinders and shoes for leaks and wear.

There are some important safety considerations before you get going:
1. Buy some 1 tonne axle stands to support the car and work on a firm level surface.
2. Don't work under the car, including whilst jacking, unless the wheel or stands are in place.
3. Brake shoes of your vintage are likely to contain asbestos fibres, which show themselves as black soot inside the drum. Only remove the dust with a damp cloth whilst wearing a respirator with a filter designed to stop asbestos fibres. Place dirty rags in a plastic bag and seal them. Dispose by landfill preferably in a designated asbestos dump, or in a very deep pit covered with soil. Like wise with brake components washed on or off the car, consideration needs to be given to where the fibres will end up - if they stay on the drive or in the garden, then when they dry out Mum and the kids will be breathing them.
4. Never blow the soot away with compressed air and consider whether your clothing might become contaminated by fibres during normal work and end up inside the house.

If the asbestos thing seems a bit over-the-top, it is probably because a mechanic I knew died of mesothelioma recently. It wouldn't surprise me if I get it as well, as I walked near a cloud of fibre from a man cutting a sheet of it when I was 14! However it is easy to reduce the risk with damp cloths,

Cheers Charlie