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TR6 TR6 Rear Brake Drums

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tr6web

tr6web

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Ok fellas. I've rebuilt my rear brakes. Eerything is in order and it looks beautiful. Except one thing..I can't get my drums on. What did I do, or what adjustments do I have to make? The Bentley manual says the shoes must be centralised if disturbed. I don't know what that means. Any help? I'm almost finished the entire rear suspesion, hubs, brakes, etc. Help!
 
Thanks, Shannon. It's all the way in and it seems the bottom of the drum would fit. The top part looks to be giving me problems. Should I fill the system with fluid, bleed it, and then try? Will that help adjust them?
 
I haven't pumped the brakes. Mabye that's it since I replaced the hoses and some pipes. I'll try that.

Also, anybody grease anything inside the drum? I heard to grease some points in there (just making sure not to get the shoes).
 
Hi,

Yes, there are a number of places to wipe on a little grease. I suggest anywhere the frame of the shoe rubs against the backing plate, under the slave cylinders and in the adjusters, plus the slots where the shoes fit into the slave cylinders. Basically, anywhere there is rubbing and metal to metal contact.

Just a little is needed and you are right to keep it off the shoe lining and inside of the drums. .

As to the fitting problem, are you sure the parking brake is fully off? (been there, done that)

Put pressure on the shoes with your (clean) hands to be sure they are fully retracted. Also it sometimes helps to tap the shoes with a rubber mallet or the heal of your hand, top and bottom, to get them to fully seat in both the adjuster and the slave cyl. That's really all "centralizing" is, working to get the shoes back in place properly, pretty much by eye (although there might have been a special Churchill tool for it!) Keep trying, they can be stubborn at first.

I have heard of folks having trouble with too thick lining on shoes. But, I think the last time it was the special kevlar-type shoes that couldn't be made to fit. You might compare with your old shoes, to see if the lining might be too thick.

Are your drums new or, if used, have they been turned to remove any ridge that might have been formed?

Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif.
'62 TR4 CT17602L
 
This sounds dumb but it happened to a friend of mine.
Be sure your parking brake is compleatly off and the adjuster is let out. It may be simpler to disconnect the cable. Just a little tention on it will make putting on a drum impossible.
 
Check to see if there is a ridge on the outside edge of the drums where the pads don't wear also. Although, even with new drums you should be able to slip them over. Try taping with a wood mallet & rotating, don't hit it too hard.

Good luck
 
Thanks all. How much space should be between the drum and the shoes? I guess I'm asking how much force is needed to put the drum on and do the shoes ride very tight inside the drum? I've let the adjuster out and disconnected the parking brake cable. Everything looks just like the Buckeye article pictures and I've followed the Bentley manual. I was so excited to get this done, and now the last part is killing me!
 
You should be able to turn the drum over the shoes as you slide it over the wheel studes into place so you shouldn't have to go hammering on the face of the drum to get it over the shoes.
Having said that, I've had a few cars where the drum had worn leaving the ridge on the edge that Gary mentioned above such that I had to mallet the drum on and once over the shoes I could turn the drum again but it's not desirable to have it that way, get 'em machined if they're real worn.
You didn't mention whether you had changed the brake cylinders or not, if you're using the old ones be sure they're not seized in the bores.
 
Hi Mike,
Alan pretty well covered it.
About the only items left are:
1- You have the wrong brake shoes for your car.
2- The linings are too thick.

Compare the lining thickness & shoe dimensions to the old shoes or to a known good set. A few cars used 3/16" thick linings. Most shoes are lined with 1/4". Don't know which your car should have. There "should" be about .015" per side clearance (.030" diameter difference) with the adjusters backed off & wheel cylinders bottomed.

Sometimes linings come oversized, assuming that the brake shop will contour grind them to fit. 95% of the brake shops arc (grind) the lining to fit the drum as standard procedure. They can't afford the liability of the customer waiting for linings to wear in for full brake performance.
D
 
Thanks everyone. I have new cylinders too. Guess maybe I'll take em to the shop.
 
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