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Rear brake adjustment

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BlueRidge1

Jedi Warrior
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Hi Again,

I am trying to get the bugs out of every thing I can and I noticed that on both rear wheels while adjusting the brake shoes that it has low spots where I feel no resistance and then as i rotate the wheel it tightens to where I can almost not turn it, and then goes free again. Could they have turned my drums off center? A friend told me that it will seat in but I think it should be the same distance on the drum if the drums are true. I am experiencing a shake at about 60- 70 mph and haven't attempted to exceed that speed. My car has the disc wheels and I have reinforced the scuttle with angle steel when the chassis was on the rotisire. I have not checked the toe in as of yet but I will check that before my next test ride. Any one else experiencing these issues? Please advise.
Thanks Bob
 
You should not have the off-center situation you have. I'd back off the adjustment so you had no touching of brakes to drum. Then drive the car using the brakes. That should center the shoes. Then readjust the brakes without removing the drums and see if the free/resistance alternation has disappeared. If not, then you may have a drum issue.

Also, there have been good posts last year from steveg about adjusting toe. I asked the questions, steve gave the answers. The key thing is to have the car on the ground and rolled forward to set the suspension before checking. The wheels are way toed out when the wheels are off the ground.

Shaking can come from out-of-balance wheels/tires, and from out of round tires, and probably other suspension related things. I'm sure the experts will weigh in on this.
 
Hello BlueRidge1, funny enough what you have is perfectly normal for the rear brake adjustment on your healey.

What you are supposed to do according to the manual is to turn the adjuster in till the drum will not turn by hand.

That is the adjuster will as you turn it go loose (as you put it) then tight once every 1/4 turn. This term loose then tight is what is called in the manual as 1 "flat".

It's when the adjuster stops going loose and you end up not being able to turn it or the drum is when you know that is as far as it goes.

Then you turn the adjuster back out 2 flats which is basically 1/2 of a turn.

To center the brake shoes you only need to push the brake pedal down a couple of times (to where it stops)and that will do the job. If you haven't had the brake shoes off for any reason there should be no reason to do this.

You need the brake drums on the car to be able to do any brake shoe adjustment.

The shaking at 60-70 mph could be a number of issues.

The tires may be old and have flat spots on them.

There may be a wheel out of balance, find someone who can balance the front wheels on the car.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

bundyrum.
 
Bundyrum, your post (and mine) show how easy it is for misunderstanding to arise. I interpreted Blueridge1 to say that turning the "Wheel" meant turning the tire, you interpreted him saying turning the adjusting screw. Blueridge1,which did you mean? Yes, the adjusting screw is square and will show resistance as it is turned over it's edge, but turning the tire/wheel by hand should not have uneven resistance as it's turned through one revolution. But Blueridge1 has a good suggestion to stomp on the brakes a few times to center the shoes, which may not be centered if you just installed them.
 
Tim,

Yes, the tire and drum assembly will free turn and then become tight for about a quarter turn or so then get loose again.

Thanks Bob
 
Hi Bob,
Are you turning the wheel with both wheels off the ground, or just the one you are working with?
 
Forgeting the possibility of the drums being incorrectly machined, and it sounds to me as if that could be the case, as even with the brakes not centred I do not think that you would be getting tight and loose spots. It is possible for the drums to be out of balance in themselves, as well as all the other causes for vibration. I have the same problem, makes for a poor ride. In my case it may well be old tyres, I hope, but if it is drums I do not have a clue who can fix that, or how.
 
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