Struggling to get drums over new shoes

RogerIvy

RogerIvy

Joined
Sep 29, 2007
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Location
Wantage, UK
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475
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Motorhoming since 2006, 30 years tent camping in Africa
Drum brakes are NOT my favourites!

I had a pad come off a shoe on rear axle of my tag, bought new ones.
I've slackened everything I can see to slacken, handbrake is not up (lever is all the way in). Pushed two slaves cylinders in as far as they can go. Wound that automatic thingy in all the way.
I can tap the drum on with a mallet but it's pretty tight.

Do I just put it on that way and drive hoping it will wear a tiny bit to spin freely?
MOT booked Tuesday so need to get it sorted.

Any tricks from someone here?

TIA
Rog
 
Ivys said:
Drum brakes are NOT my favourites!

I had a pad come off a shoe on rear axle of my tag, bought new ones.
I've slackened everything I can see to slacken, handbrake is not up (lever is all the way in). Pushed two slaves cylinders in as far as they can go. Wound that automatic thingy in all the way.
I can tap the drum on with a mallet but it's pretty tight.

Do I just put it on that way and drive hoping it will wear a tiny bit to spin freely?
MOT booked Tuesday so need to get it sorted.

Any tricks from someone here?

TIA
Rog
Click to expand...
Have you tried a chamfer on the leading edge of each new shoe? This was sometimes need on some of the old veteran cars I worked on.
 
glenn2926 said:
Have you tried a chamfer on the leading edge of each new shoe? This was sometimes need on some of the old veteran cars I worked on.
Click to expand...
I can actually get the drum back on so a chamfer wouldn't help much. In fact, there is already one.
it's just that once the drum is on the wheel won't rotate by hand. I could probably drive it and that may be the only way to loosen it up a bit.
 
Wouldn't drive it its its binding that bad. A bit of drag yes but if you can't turn the wheel no.
You'll just fry the shoes and once overheated they can go crumbly and don't work as well.

If everything is backed off like you say and you can get the drums on I'd give them a good going over with some 40s or 80s sandpaper and just take a bit of meat off

I've had to do this a few times if the paticular brand of shoes are a bit fat.

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tonyidle said:
The problem is normally the 'rust rim' on the unworn part of the drum. Incidentally I hope you didn't really mean the handbrake was all the way up 😊.
Click to expand...
I cleaned them up nicely and painted the outside with red oxide (not the inner face), there is no rust rim to speak of.
 
Nixdorfer said:
Wouldn't drive it its its binding that bad. A bit of drag yes but if you can't turn the wheel no.
You'll just fry the shoes and once overheated they can go crumbly and don't work as well.

If everything is backed off like you say and you can get the drums on I'd give them a good going over with some 40s or 80s sandpaper and just take a bit of meat off

I've had to do this a few times if the paticular brand of shoes are a bit fat.
Click to expand...
Thanks, I think they be 1mm fatter than originals. I'll probably need to do as you suggest.
 
I usually give the drums a few good whacks with a rubber hammer to centralise them, seems to work better

Another option is put the drum on, use a bar or something to turn the drum a few times and see where the high spots are on the shoes as those areas will go dark where its binding. Then sand those and see if it helps

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Wear a mask when sanding the shoes.. I know they aren’t as full of nasties these days, but….
 
pappajohn said:
Definately not. The brake would overheat and the shoes would glaze making them just about useless. It may be the shoes have a manufacturing fault
Click to expand...
......... and as they heat up they expand. Another definitely not.
 
I take it you have slacked the drum brake adjuster, If there is a ridge on the outer edge of drum take it off with a half round file ( don't touch the breaking surface, make sure the shoes are sitting right , centralise them as you fit drum and they should fit ok then adjust, a light tap on the front edge to help them sit right, see if they will adjust more then slacken adjuster until just free.
 
It’s not unusual for a motor factor to give you the wrong parts.

Happened to me with some pads.
They were only plus 2 mm but you couldn’t fit them.

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Check shoe thickness with oppposite side if thats free
 
If you can get the drum back on then the shoes are the right size. It is very likely that they are not centred properly (not your fault!) give the drum lots of gentle taps all around it’s circumference with a hammer, rotating the drum as you go with a breaker bar or crowbar, important that you rotate the drum for forwards rotation. Rotate and simultaneously tap! Stick the wheel on run the van up n down the road for about a mile gently applying pressure to the foot brake. Jack it up again and it should be running freely. If not check and adjust adjusters as per manual, then repeat the above procedure. This strategy has worked on every single brake drum equipped vehicle I have ever encountered. I got the procedure from my old friend (now 89!) and mechanic who first started servicing vehicles in the early 1950’s. He treats my 1965 Morris Minor as a whippersnapper!! Good luck!!

Russ
 
I sanded the shoe down just a tiny bit. Then used a long clamp to make sure they were fully retracted (gently). The drum went over easily this time and I can rotate the wheel. Brakes working great.

Thanks to everyone for your help and advice (y)
 

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