30 replies to this topic

[croc7]

 

your shoes are incorrectly fitted. there is a leading and trailing edge to each. the leading edge has a larger gap from the front of the shoe to the friction material, the images in the haynes manual show the leading edge on the front shoe goes to the adjuster and the leading edge on the rear shoe goes to the cylinder. on your photots the rear shoe on your set up is the other way around, i have always fitted mine as per. the haynes way and had no issues. i have seen backplate assemblies from suppliers at shows which are provided the way round as your current fitment, both leading edges at the adjuster.

Also is there contamination on the shoes or are the marks just from the drum? also before fitting give the shoes a quick rub with some 600 grit wet and dry this to aid bedding in and remove any high spots

Also you are right the threaded insert should be fitted to the back plate

SMALL amount of copper grease on the pivot points and adjuster

With new linings the brakes are liable to stick till surface is totally smooth (bedded in) which is why you always lay up cars in gear and chocked with handbrake off

 

I thought that, but they look to be as you describe to me.  - Turning the wheel forward the drum rotates from the longer unlined end of the shoe to the shorter unlined end.

 

Sorry if I'm stating the obvious but the brake shoe orientation is handed.  Not the same for both sides, from your pictures, its hard for me to tell which is the right side or left side of the car.  If the lower picture that you provided is the right rear brake assembly, then the brake shoe installation is correct.  But boy, those are some thick shoes, once you get the problem sorted, you won't need to change them for a long time.......

Edited by croc7, 12 February 2026 - 10:08 PM.

[Ethel]

Yeah, it can be fun figuring out what's L&R, up 'n down from  piccies. That's why it's best to think about the wheel rotation when the car's going forwards. You could imagine there's a hole through the drum to but a crayon in. If the crayon would draw a line down the shoe from the end with the most bare metal to the end the lining gets closest to, it's correct.

[Spider]

 

[sonscar]

Might be an illusion but the shoes do not look centered,Steve..

[Rubbershorts]

 

Hi Spider. Left and right, is that as you are sat in the car? So left would be UK nearside? Cheers, Daz.

[Ethel]

The one on the left turns anticlockwise & the one on the right turns clockwise when you're driving forwards.

[DeadSquare]

The one on the left turns anticlockwise & the one on the right turns clockwise when you're driving forwards.

This reminds me of the Apocryphal story about the Australian, who ordered a new back axle for his Austin 7.

Unfortunately, he replaced it upside-down, and had one forward and four reverse gears.

 

With apologies to Spider.

[Spider]

Hi Spider. Left and right, is that as you are sat in the car? So left would be UK nearside? Cheers, Daz.

 

Fair question - it's best not to make assumption !

In this case, this is assuming you are sitting in the car, looking forward.

 

 

 

The one on the left turns anticlockwise & the one on the right turns clockwise when you're driving forwards.

This reminds me of the Apocryphal story about the Australian, who ordered a new back axle for his Austin 7.

Unfortunately, he replaced it upside-down, and had one forward and four reverse gears.

 

With apologies to Spider.

 

 

 

Why 'apologies' ? I didn't fit it but sounds a good idea and yes, I get the joke,,,, you guys all think we are up-side-down,,,,, Maybe that's what's wrong with us ? Or what's right with us !
 

[SteadyEddie]

Ok so here I am two months later. The problem changed from biting to then more sounding like a train going over tracks when braking (brakes still worked). Had a look today and the section of the backplate that mounts the adjuster has come off  brakes detached.png   652.65K   4 downloads

 

Has anybody seen a failure like this before?

 

(needless to say the brakes on this corner didn't do anything when I gave it a test earlier!)

[alpder]

The picture hints that the shoes are touching only at the very ends? If so, could be an adjustment issue, or the shoes are too big. What was the outcome of testing the friction material radius against the drum? Were they correct?

[SteadyEddie]

So the bigger issue is that the adjustment bracket has detached from the base. That black part with the adjuster screw should be attached to the backplate but isn't! Thay means the shoes weren't mounted correctly which has given the edge rubbing pattern.

[Lplus]

Ok so here I am two months later. The problem changed from biting to then more sounding like a train going over tracks when braking (brakes still worked). Had a look today and the section of the backplate that mounts the adjuster has come off brakes detached.png

 

Has anybody seen a failure like this before?

 

(needless to say the brakes on this corner didn't do anything when I gave it a test earlier!)

Not seen that before - were the backplates aftermarket?

[alpder]

So the bigger issue is that the adjustment bracket has detached from the base. That black part with the adjuster screw should be attached to the backplate but isn't! Thay means the shoes weren't mounted correctly which has given the edge rubbing pattern.

I wonder whether the brake snatches because the adjuster was broken, or was there some other cause of snatching and the adjuster has broken off due to the high forces of snatching?

Edited by alpder, 16 April 2026 - 04:48 PM.

[Spider]

 

So the bigger issue is that the adjustment bracket has detached from the base. That black part with the adjuster screw should be attached to the backplate but isn't! Thay means the shoes weren't mounted correctly which has given the edge rubbing pattern.

 

I wonder whether the brake snatches because the adjuster was broken, or was there some other cause of snatching and the adjuster has broken off due to the high forces of snatching?

 

Quite likely. It would have been working as a Duo-servo type brake.
 

[SteadyEddie]

So it was a full replacement kit for both sides from Old Skool Minis. Good suggestion that actually the earlier snatching behaviour has broken this part. Something I'd be keen to work out so I don't break the replacement one I fit!