conaero
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Slacken wheel bolts using the wheel wrench or better a 22m socket and long bar, jack up the car and place on axel stands, note both wheels need to be off the ground or turning one is nigh on impossible. Then remove one wheel, be prepared they are heavy and sometimes require a bash from the rear with a mallet if the centre locating hub is rusty:
Remove two 19mm mounting bolts holding brake calliper in place you will probably need a ring spanner as a brake pipe is in the way of a socket. Hang the calliper with string / wire or in my case a tie wrap, from the suspension to take any strain off the flexible pipe:
Remove the two 13mm bolts holding the disc in place and remove the disc, if tight make sure handbrake is fully off and make sure that the flange, the disc centre fits over is free of rust. Gentle persuasion with a soft mallet may be needed. If no luck you may have to slacken off the adjuster through one of the access holes see pics 7, 12 and 13 and the last paragraph.
Once removed, you can see the handbrake gubbins in all its glory:
Remove the holding springs by grasping the centre flat with long nose pliers and pushing and at the same time turning 90 degrees to unhook the rear. I understand the very early cars had a different type of fixings but these operate in a similar manner to remove:
Next you should remove the top shoe spring but that's easier said than done so I just spread the top of the shoes to disengage them from the operating mechanism, this allowed me to remove the top spring easily as there is no longer any tension on it:
Now you can remove the shoe / bottom spring and adjuster assembly easily, all the parts can be seen:
Clean all parts with a wire brush (a dusty and dirty job) no asbestos should be in these shoes but still, your nose won't like it. If the shoes are intact and not missing their linings or parting company then give these a good clean and de glaze them with some coarse emery paper. The shoes are rarely worn down unless they have been binding or you spend your time practicing hand brake turns, after all they are only used when stationary:
One shoe done compared to a glazed one I'm sure you will tell the clean one from the glazed. If I had more time I would have cleaned them more and could have applied some zinc paint to the rusty bits, maybe a job for next winter when I redo this job for the next MOT.
Dismantle the adjuster and apply some grease to the threads:
All the parts as they should be when assembled just in case you forget what went where! Note the adjuster is fully wound in.
Clean the brake back plate and apply grease to the operating mechanism joints:
How to assemble the shoes for refitting note the lack of top spring as this can be fitted last. Offer up the shoe assembly from the bottom whilst opening the top of the shoes to engage in the small cut-outs in the operating mechanism:
Refit the shoe holding springs and finally the top spring with the aid of some stout pliers or spring hooks.
Clean the inside of the disk from brake dust and rust then deglaze with emery paper:
Centralize the shoes and try the disc on it should be an easy fit remove and turn the adjuster a little (top away from you) and refit continue this until it will just slide on without catching. Refit the two 13mm bolts to hold the disc in place. Next we have to adjust the shoes so line up one of the outer two holes with the adjuster:
You can just see what I mean, and using a screw driver as in:
Push the adjuster teeth away from you at the bottom one click at a time until you can feel the shoes touching the drum by trying to turn it. Once it catches back off the adjuster (top away from you) about 2-3 notches. Refit the wheel so you can turn it more easily and make sure that it is not binding. Apply the handbrake and make sure it locks the wheel. Carry out any further adjustments if required and then after a cuppa, attack the other side.
This is the first time I've come across brake shoes without any form of self adjusting since the 1960's and feel this is a major cause of these handbrakes having such a bad reputation. Once there has been a time for bedding in you may have to adjust them a notch to keep the handbrake leaver operating for the desirable three to five clicks. Mine now has no trouble holding the car on any incline, although I still leave it in gear as a precaution. This is because if a handbrake is applied with very hot discs, when these cool down and contract they can lose contact with the shoes or pads and that's when your car can move. I've seen this happen more than once on different cars.
The figures on the test stations machine went from 26 / 11 up to 290 / 310 although I'm not sure what these numbers actually mean surely the difference is meaningful.
Remove two 19mm mounting bolts holding brake calliper in place you will probably need a ring spanner as a brake pipe is in the way of a socket. Hang the calliper with string / wire or in my case a tie wrap, from the suspension to take any strain off the flexible pipe:
Remove the two 13mm bolts holding the disc in place and remove the disc, if tight make sure handbrake is fully off and make sure that the flange, the disc centre fits over is free of rust. Gentle persuasion with a soft mallet may be needed. If no luck you may have to slacken off the adjuster through one of the access holes see pics 7, 12 and 13 and the last paragraph.
Once removed, you can see the handbrake gubbins in all its glory:
Remove the holding springs by grasping the centre flat with long nose pliers and pushing and at the same time turning 90 degrees to unhook the rear. I understand the very early cars had a different type of fixings but these operate in a similar manner to remove:
Next you should remove the top shoe spring but that's easier said than done so I just spread the top of the shoes to disengage them from the operating mechanism, this allowed me to remove the top spring easily as there is no longer any tension on it:
Now you can remove the shoe / bottom spring and adjuster assembly easily, all the parts can be seen:
Clean all parts with a wire brush (a dusty and dirty job) no asbestos should be in these shoes but still, your nose won't like it. If the shoes are intact and not missing their linings or parting company then give these a good clean and de glaze them with some coarse emery paper. The shoes are rarely worn down unless they have been binding or you spend your time practicing hand brake turns, after all they are only used when stationary:
One shoe done compared to a glazed one I'm sure you will tell the clean one from the glazed. If I had more time I would have cleaned them more and could have applied some zinc paint to the rusty bits, maybe a job for next winter when I redo this job for the next MOT.
Dismantle the adjuster and apply some grease to the threads:
All the parts as they should be when assembled just in case you forget what went where! Note the adjuster is fully wound in.
Clean the brake back plate and apply grease to the operating mechanism joints:
How to assemble the shoes for refitting note the lack of top spring as this can be fitted last. Offer up the shoe assembly from the bottom whilst opening the top of the shoes to engage in the small cut-outs in the operating mechanism:
Refit the shoe holding springs and finally the top spring with the aid of some stout pliers or spring hooks.
Clean the inside of the disk from brake dust and rust then deglaze with emery paper:
Centralize the shoes and try the disc on it should be an easy fit remove and turn the adjuster a little (top away from you) and refit continue this until it will just slide on without catching. Refit the two 13mm bolts to hold the disc in place. Next we have to adjust the shoes so line up one of the outer two holes with the adjuster:
You can just see what I mean, and using a screw driver as in:
Push the adjuster teeth away from you at the bottom one click at a time until you can feel the shoes touching the drum by trying to turn it. Once it catches back off the adjuster (top away from you) about 2-3 notches. Refit the wheel so you can turn it more easily and make sure that it is not binding. Apply the handbrake and make sure it locks the wheel. Carry out any further adjustments if required and then after a cuppa, attack the other side.
This is the first time I've come across brake shoes without any form of self adjusting since the 1960's and feel this is a major cause of these handbrakes having such a bad reputation. Once there has been a time for bedding in you may have to adjust them a notch to keep the handbrake leaver operating for the desirable three to five clicks. Mine now has no trouble holding the car on any incline, although I still leave it in gear as a precaution. This is because if a handbrake is applied with very hot discs, when these cool down and contract they can lose contact with the shoes or pads and that's when your car can move. I've seen this happen more than once on different cars.
The figures on the test stations machine went from 26 / 11 up to 290 / 310 although I'm not sure what these numbers actually mean surely the difference is meaningful.