Tinkling rear brakes [BJ8]

[AndrewMawson]

I'm told (!) all BJ8's have tinkling rear brakes - is this true?

Certainly mine makes a gentle noise almost like a small stone in the tyre once a rev - only really consious of it when driving between walls. Gentle application of the brake stops the noise which returns when foot taken off the pedal. I'm assuming it's either the floating shoes rattling against the back plate or maybe the shims holding the handbrake actuator. Strip down doesn't show any problems.

Is this actually a common 'feature'and has anyone found a solution or should I be looking more critically at the brake components ? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[bob hughes]

Andy, My first Healey, a 100/6, had a gentle tinkling in the back wheels, I had loose spokes. I don't suppose this helps much. My latest one a BJ7 has a real rattle in the front, warped discs, and sticking pistons in the calipers, all needs changing, and this sounds worse between two walls too.

Bob /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif

 

[Keoke]

Hi Andrew, inside the rear brake drums are two pins intended to keep the shoes aligned with the drum. Fitted to these pins are felt pads that last about as long as it takes to drive out of the garage.It could be the shoes rattling against these pins.My solution was to make the felt pads out of tefelon -no more rattle.FWIW---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[AndrewMawson]

Keoke,

Yes thanks for that - I see them in the book of words but there never seems to be any instructions for adjusting them either in the Works manual or the Haynes books.

Do the screws screw out from the rear of the backplate for adjustment or does the pad screw up and down the screw?

 

[Dave Russell]

If the shoe locating pins (actually called steady posts) are misadjusted it could cause noise. There is a felt pad that goes around the shoe contact end of the pin that is meant to hold a few drops of oil. The pin should make metal to metal contact with the shoe.

To set the pins, back them off from the shoes (unscrew), apply the brakes & while holding them applied, screw the pins in until they just firmly contact the shoes & tighten the locknuts.

I guess that teflon buttons might be of some help by eliminating the metal to metal contact, but have never had a problem if the pins are set correctly in the first place.

The "shims" holding the hand brake actuator are actually a pair of spring loaded U shaped washers (retainers) that hold the mechanism tightly to the backing plate. If these are not correctly installed, or one of the two missing, there should be no rattle from this part. There is an older topic about the retainer installation.
https://www.britishcarforum.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=UBB1&Number=9147
D

 

[AndrewMawson]

At LAST I've solved my tinkling noise, but feel a bit of a twit - the noise was from the FRONT PADS !!!!

Several people had had a listen, sat in the back and hung over each side (a feat in itself!) and all agreed it came from the rear right hand brake drum.

WRONG - it was the front pads on the right hand side rattling. As standard there are no anti-rattle springs fitted to these calipers as far as I can tell, but there are now on mine <g>

I found some compression springs just slightly larger bore than the retaining pins and 50% longer than the gap between the pads, and slid them on keeping the pads off the disk.

If you do this it is obviously ESSENTIAL that you ensure that the fully compressed length of the spring is shorter than the gap between almost worn down pads or the brakes won't work !!!

It took maybe 10 mins to do both sides, and when I think I've stripped out the rear drums three times, made teflon replacements for the felt steady post pads, replaced the spring retainers for the sliding rear brake cylinders in a vain attempt to cure this noise it gives me a wry smile !