adjusting rear drum!!!! last and only thing preventing MOT!!

Hi guys,

need a little help as im about to take a sledge hammer to my right rear drum brake!!!      

Hate these things!!!

ok, ive sorned the car for a year while i get round to putting a new engine in the car - done!! and working sweeeeeetttt!!!

mot'd today,and it failed on one thing, the rear drum on parking and foot brake.

ive had it apart it was pretty manky, cleaned it all up, bled the line took it back for re-test, worse than before!!!

the shoes look good so i dont think this is the reason they are not binding strongly enough.

the 'wedge' which apparentely self adjusts the brake, which way does it need to be persuaded in order to give me more braking power?! i really would like to get my baby mot'd today, and any help would be greatly appreciated

    

thanks guys,

Chris

it should slide down as you use the brakes and adjust them out towards the drum.

did you check that the cylinder is ok and not leaking?  It shouldn't have come back worse.

The only other thing i can think of is that you haven't got the clips for the shoes in place?

Jon.

edit, try as this is the bit of the rear end guide to do with the drums and shoes

Hi, look at page three of my project, hopefully the picture may help with assembly. Hopefully I have got is right.

The Mk1 Golf Owners Club

I agree with the last post that the wedge it use to take up the slack during operation and moves the shoes out towards the drum. Hope this helps.

Wedge goes down to reduce pedal/handbrake travel when applying brakes. The problem is, the wedge doesn't really "self-adjust". There's 2 ways round it. 1) put it back together and poke a tool in through one of the wheel bolt holes, to pull the wedge down. 2) set it to about right and put the drum over the shoes, wiggling it on with slight resistance. Also there's the handbrake cable adjustment to fine tune it and take up any excess handbrake lever travel.

You could also adjust the brake compensating valve (its position on the bracket) but this will give increased/reduced braking on both rear wheels.

Have you bled the brakes too? This will only affect the service brakes but worth a check, bit of a sideline though.

passed mot the day after ended up replacing shoes and cylinder and all was good, think the seals had gone on the existing cylinder…

Babys back on tha road and goin sweet,

thanks for the input guys, i was stressing cos i wnted to get the car though that day!!!

keep up the good work,

Chris