Brake Pedal Travel Adjustment

[TR4]

Is there an adjustment I can make to the brake pedal on my TR4 so they engage sooner? I just changed the rear rubber hose, bled the system 3 times to ensure all the air was removed and my brake pedal travels much farther before engaging than before I changed the hose. They also don't seem to grab as hard as before either. Is there an adjustment to get the pedal to engage the brakes sooner? I did check the adjustment on the rear pads and those are properly set. Maybe a stainless flex hose would give better resistance than the rubber hose I installed? All advice is appreciated.

 

[hondo402000]

I feel your pain, I just rebuilt the rear brakes on my 6 and a simular thing is happening, all I can think at the moment is when the rear brakes are new after driving about 50 miles I pulled one rear drum back off and noticed that the new shoes are only hitting at the middle, so I figure that once the brakes seat in and contact the drum on the entire face of the pad the brakes should get better, so keep driving and keep adjusting the shoes out

hondo

 

[TR4]

That might be what happened with my car as well. I changed the rear rubber hose because the rear brakes would not return and continually rubbed. Now they are not rubbing so need to travel to work. At least they do return now.

 

[Andrew Mace]

Can you tell if one or more wheels might not be stopping as well? Can you find a deserted sand or gravel lot and try hard braking to see if one or more wheels don't lock up? I'm wondering if you've got a sticky caliper piston or a rear wheel cylinder that's not sliding as it should...or something along those lines?

 

[TR4]

I won't be able to take the car out until this weekend. Last outing the car stopped straight and did not pull to either side. I just had to push the pedal really far compared to before changing the hose. It did not seem to stop as quickly either. I adjusted the rear brakes out until they rubbed and then turned the adjuster one click back. The pedal now needs to travel about 3-4 inches before the brakes start working.

 

[Andrew Mace]

You ARE turning the adjuster in quarter-turn increments, correct? That 3-4 inches is far too much travel; no question! Can you "pump" up the brakes at all, which might indicate either air still in the system or adjustment that still can be made?

 

[TR4]

Yes, turning the adjusters one click or about 1/4 turn. The brakes don't get any better by pumping the pedal. I bled the system a second and third time thinking there might still be air in the line but that did not help the situation. Would you advise adjusting the rear brakes one click out so the brakes rub but the wheels still turn by hand? Seems to me the drums will get really hot if the pads are rubbing at all.

 

[TR3driver]

A light rubbing noise is OK, but the drums must be easy to turn by hand.

I wonder, does anyone 'arc' brake shoes any more? Used to be you could have your drums measured and the surface of the shoes ground to match the drums exactly. Made them work really well without having to "bed in" first.

One test you can try is to turn the adjusters until the rear brakes are locked, then see how the pedal feels. If it's not high and tight, the problem lies elsewhere. One possibility is a broken spring inside the MC.

 

[Andrew Mace]

One test you can try is to turn the adjusters until the rear brakes are locked, then see how the pedal feels. If it's not high and tight, the problem lies elsewhere. One possibility is a broken spring inside the MC.

Alternatively, and yielding (hopefully) a similar result, pull the handbrake on tight and try the pedal.

 

[TR4]

Thanks guys,this gives me a few things to test. I'll post results after trying them.

 

[hondo402000]

I dont think pulling the hand brake will yield any difference how far the peddle goes because the hand break levers the shoe forward and then there is a gap between the piston and the shoe, use the adjuster and lock the brakes and then try the peddle and see if the peddle changes, just my thoughts and I will be trying the same think

Hondo

 

[angelfj1]

I wonder, does anyone 'arc' brake shoes any more? Used to be you could have your drums measured and the surface of the shoes ground to match the drums exactly. Made them work really well without having to "bed in" first.

I recall that Don E had that done to Trusty. I have asked a few shops around here and they look at me like I have 2 heads! Just like the guy at the drug store when I asked him if they had a vacuum tube tester. I needed to check a couple of 12ax7's and they thought I was nuts.

Maybe we need to start sending our brakes to Montreal!

 

[Moseso]

I wonder, does anyone 'arc' brake shoes any more? Used to be you could have your drums measured and the surface of the shoes ground to match the drums exactly. Made them work really well without having to "bed in" first.

I had my 10" TR3 rear drums turned and the shoes relined and arced recently at Brake & Equipment Warehouse in Minneapolis. They are friction material specialists -- I think they re-line clutches too. The draggy part about shipping brakes for this kind of stuff is the WEIGHT. I'm fortunate to live where there is such a place still operating. Apparently, not every town has one anymore.

 

[TR3driver]

Why do I have this urge to pick up a brake shoe grinder, next time I see one on flea-bay ? Passed one up a few years back, that as I recall didn't get any bids at $50. Had a riveting station and a bucket of rivets, too.

 

[TR4]

Why do I have this urge to pick up a brake shoe grinder, next time I see one on flea-bay ? Passed one up a few years back, that as I recall didn't get any bids at $50. Had a riveting station and a bucket of rivets, too.

When you get one, you will find out you have friends you never knew you had.

 

[martx-5]

I remember when I first started swinging wrenches back in the early '70s, every gas station and repair shop that did brakes had arcing equipment...it was part of the job. The shop I worked in did alot of brake jobs. We used to turn four drums, arc new linings, rebuild four wheel cylinders and have the car off the lift in about an hour and a half...all for $60.

Arcing shoes has pretty much gone the way of the Dodo bird. Today, shops find it easier to just put on a new drum with the new shoes...hopefully they match.

 

[TR4]

Well, one quarter turn on those rear adjusters made a huge difference. Brake pedal travels about 1-1/2 inches now before engaging the pads. Those rear pads do rub a little so I'll check the drums after I take it out for a run. Off to help with 5th grade homework. No, I'm not smarter than a 5th grader but she does need my help from time to time.

Thanks for the advice, I will try to help another member.

 

[Trevor Triumph]

Would it make a difference if the hand brake was pulled about half way through the travel? My friend suggested that I pull the hand brake on a bit and then adjust the rear shoes.
T.T.

 

[TR4]

Just my opinion but would that not give an improper setting? The handbrake is not pulled halfway when driving.