Thread: For the Drum Brake Gurus - I have a binding front brake.

The first thing I noticed was that in photo 2, the shoe on the right does not sit square.

It looks like it is wider than it should be.

This could be an optical illusion also..

Next thing, as an old retired brake mechanic, did you bed them in?

First thing a brake mechanic does on completion of a job is to test drive the car and repeatedly and gently (read harshly) pull the car up from about 60 kph allowing the brakes too cool between applications.

This centralises everything and beds the linings.
If you don't do this you will polish the linings and have all sorts of problems.

If the linings are square to the drums, have a good chamfer and the hoses are in good condition ( Old hose close up & act like one way valves & cause brake locking) Then remove the drums, sand paper the linings & drums to remove glaze & give them a good bedding in.

The other thing is to put extra chamfer on the front of the leading shoes to prevent grabbing.

Also make sure the drums are sitting 100% square on the flange.

Hope this makes sense.

Davy

(2 - Adjustment cam's are a little worn but you can't turn them without a spanner or ratchet

3 - I have never touched these as i'm usure what you adjust them to.)

SORRY!

Didn't read this bit closely enough.


You must follow all in my previous post AND totally back of the adjusters before fitting the drums.

Refit the wheels and adjust the brakes as per manufacturers instructions. ( Normally, tighten the adjusters tight, stamp on the brake pedal to centralise all and then back of until the wheel spins freely)

Then test drive & bed in, then readjust as above.

If the adjusters are not backed off the brakes will bind & grab.

This is why the new shoes are pulled out of square in the photo.
They are set at a bigger radius than the drum.

Davy

Hope this is helpfull

StirlSilver ... put up a photo of the CAM adjuster .... AS Davy is onto it

Ok, so I pulled the drum off today and guess what fell out...




Yep... a broken spring. I'm a bit suspect on in thought, since I had pulled the drum off when I was 4WDing on monday night when it was binding up and the spring was in place. So it's making me wonder if the broken spring is a symptom rather than a cause.

I also noticed that the wear on the shoes was on the top and bottom of the shoes, not really in the middle.




So obviously the shoes weren't really radius matched when I fitted them in so as per suggestions I used a file across the shoes and removed some material from these areas and also a small amount across the middle to remove any shine. Fitted it all back together and yep, all seems good now, and I was sure to do the whole hard stopping to bed them in. The car brakes in a straight line now which is great!... I just hope that the problem doesn't come back...

Glad it worked out for you

ON the second photo (showing the spring) .... I can see the worm threaded "adjuster" .... This is what you turn to make smaller of larger to adjust the brake shoes

You should unscrew it apart ... clean the thread .... Put it back together
You adjust your brakes by turning it ... Just untill you hear the brake "slightly touching the drum"

I don't know for yours ... but normally theres a hole in the backing plate ...opposite the adjuster ... where you can fit a screwdriver to turn/adjust it

(Holden HR or Ford XP had the same setup)


All good

Mike

Originally Posted by mike 90 RR

Glad it worked out for you

ON the second photo (showing the spring) .... I can see the worm threaded "adjuster" .... This is what you turn to make smaller of larger to adjust the brake shoes

You should unscrew it apart ... clean the thread .... Put it back together
You adjust your brakes by turning it ... Just untill you hear the brake "slightly touching the drum"

I don't know for yours ... but normally theres a hole in the backing plate ...opposite the adjuster ... where you can fit a screwdriver to turn/adjust it

(Holden HR or Ford XP had the same setup)


All good

Mike

You might be seeing it - but unless the setup is totally non-standard it is not there. The Holden and Ford have Lockheed design brakes, Landrovers have quite different Girling brakes. The screw adjuster is used in the Lockheed system, never by Girling.

John