Thread: handbrake shoes not centering

I was checking out the handbrake the other night (one wheel in the air), and heard the shoes scuffing lightly in the handbrake drum. I tried adjusting them with the adjuster bold on the back of the drum, and they stop scuffing then - but as soon as the handbrake has been applied once they start scuffing again. So I took off the rear propshaft and handbrake drum. I convinced the wife to help me by applying the handbrake in the car while I was checking out what the shoes are doing. The left (looking from the rear) shoe goes back when the handbrake is loosened, but the right shoe stays put.

How is this supposed to work? I see you can also move both shoes around on the backplate quite a lot by just pushing them around.

There was also a recall on my vehicle - something to do with changing the adjuster bolt, and removing the "anti chatter spring". From the recall: "The anti-chatter spring
restricts the ability of the shoes to align to their correct bedding position".

The handbrake mechanism is not oily or full of mud - just dusty. I am thinking that I need to take it all off, clean it a bit, and then grease the "plinths" on the backplate before putting the shoes back. Can't see how the shoes will center better otherwise :-/

Sorry! I was sure I had it in my signature. It is a 1999 Disco 2 V8.