REAR BRAKE ADJUSTMENT?????? HELP PLEASE

Hi does anyone know how to adjust the rear brakes please. Footbrake works fine. Handbrake is adjusted to the limit but for some reason the O/S wont work on handbrake although the N/S does.

Is there another way of adjusting ive taken drum off but cant see an adjuster

Thankyou

not easy to answer in a few sentences but ill try, asuming you have good shoes on the back, never adjust just your hand brake cable to take up any slack untill you have first adjusted up your shoes first, start by backing off the cables completely at the compensator, now adjust up your shoes, this is something you are just going to have to figure out as there are different auto adjusters. keep trying the drum on until you can still turn it but can hear the shoes contacting the drum, now a good way of setting your cables up is to put your hand brake on say a couple of nothches and then start adjusting the cables evenly untill the resistance is tight enough to lock both your rear drums, remember that if one of your cables has stretched more than the other then you will get them protruding at different lenghts at the handbrake lever, recheck your wheels turn free after releasing the hand brake, hope this helps

what model is it? generally early cars have manual star adjusters, mid and some late have sping loaded star adjusters, late cars have a crude wedge adjuster. if you cant see the adjuster i'm guessing thats what you have.

basically as you use the brakes the wedge is pulled down by a spring and holds the shoes at the correct tension.  You should be able to see a big metal plate between the shoes and a spring going vertically down onto the bottom of the leading shoe. it's that spring that is attached to the wedge. if the wedge is right down against big late then they are at max and need replacing. mine were when i had them apart at the weekend.

to adjust them i usually wedge the shoes apart and slide the wedge up to slacken them off.  then put the drums back on (remembering to adjust the wheel bearing until it's just thight enough to allow you to nudge the washer across,) and pump the brake pedal a few times.  pop back out and spin the drum, you should feel the leading shoe scuff slightly. that means the shoes are where they should be. the rest is as dwgolf has said!

Jon.

Nice one thanks for both replies.

Ill follow that

Many thanks