12 replies to this topic

[Viktor]

Hi all,

I'm struggling to remove the locking nut on my rear drum brakes.  I have put lots of penetrating oil, but no luck.  I also bought a blow torch and heat it for over 2 minutes, but it is stuck and I'm not sure what else I can do to take it out. Picture below for reference.

 

 

Many thanks in advance.

Victor.

[Spider]

The Hub Nut ?

The Left Hand side has a Left Hand Thread - it undoes the other way.

[SolarB]

But is that not a photograph of the right hand swing arm and hub?

 

It looks like the back plate been put on the arm 90 degrees out, the shoe adjuster should be at the top, not inline with the swing arm. Goodness knows how the handbrake worked.
 

[Gilles1000]

I did the rear brakes on mine over Christmas time.

solarB, you're right, this is to me the right radius arm, and the plate is turned 90°.

 

If you see the thread and place it in front of you, you can identify it beeing left (one thread goes to the top on the left) or right (thread goes to the top on the right side of a screw)

I hope one can understand what I mean

[GraemeC]

It is hard to visualise from that photo, but I would tend to agree it is a RH arm.

However - it is impossible to fit a backplate 90 degrees further round (without re-drilling it anyway).  It could be a LH backplate on a RH arm.

 

Check the thread orientation as Spider suggest though - if could be that someone has managed to put the wrong stub-axle into the arm (especially consider the issue above).

 

The nut shouldn't be that tight, but if it has corroded in place it could be a sod.  Try it with a 2ft breaker bar, alternatively take the arm to a friendly garage that could attack it with their windy gun.

[Viktor]

Hi all,

 

Thanks for your feedback and apologies, as I sent the wrong photograph.  The left side of the rear suspension was okay (photo previously sent). The problem is with the right side of the rear suspension. The nut I cannot take out is the one holding the backplate into the radius arm. See below more pictures for reference.

So, any tips on how to take that nut out?

Thanks

[Gilles1000]

Now you are showing the LH side.

Remember, the RH side is when you're sitting in the car at the right ;)

 

The fittings for the brake lines should be on the top of the radius arm.

 

For removing the backplate you first have to remove the big castle nut which holds the wheel bearing, then you can pull the wheel hub.

 

Then undo the 3 small bolts and you get the backplate out.

[GraemeC]

you first have to remove the big castle nut which holds the wheel bearing, then you can pull the wheel hub.

 

 

And that nut is a left-hand thread (ie you turn it the opposite way to usual to loosen - so clockwise in this case)

 

Once the hub is off you'll have better access to nut and bolt you are trying to remove.  There is nothing special about this so if it is seized you may need to attack it with a grinder or hacksaw.

[Viktor]

Thanks Giles and Graeme,

 

You can clearly see my lack of knowledge about all of this. Before the Mini I only have fixed bicycles!

 

So the reason I cannot take the nut out, was because I was actually tighten it!  This is so embarrassing!     

 

Thanks guys!

[SolarB]

Bicycles can be a pain too.

 

There's still the question of the back plates. The square adjuster nut should be at the top, not the bottom of the back plates. What's the history of the car, have you just acquired it, and more interestingly, were the handbrake cables attached?

[GraemeC]

SolarB - given the later photos, I think Viktor may have unbolted the backplate in the first photo so it is just sat loosely at any old rotation.

[Viktor]

Bicycles can be a pain too.

 

There's still the question of the back plates. The square adjuster nut should be at the top, not the bottom of the back plates. What's the history of the car, have you just acquired it, and more interestingly, were the handbrake cables attached?

Hi SolarB. I bought the car around a month ago to do a full restoration. The handbrake cables were properly attached, but I have removed them already when I took the photos. The car was working properly before I started doing any work on it. I just need to ensure it will work once I finish with it 

[Viktor]

SolarB - given the later photos, I think Viktor may have unbolted the backplate in the first photo so it is just sat loosely at any old rotation.

Hi GraemeC, yes indeed I did unbolted the backplate on that photo, so as I said before, the car was assembled correctly before I started working on it.

 

Thanks everyone for your assistance, this is much appreciated.

 

Cheers.

 

Victor.