Just got round to replacing the brake cables The wife’s recent exploits of driving round the lakes with the handbrake on..: I have new cables to fit but now I have stripped the drums there is still a strong smell of burned brakes three weeks later. I only fitted the shoes earlier this summer but I wonder if they will need replacing as well. Any ideas? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would. They cost little, and the lining might be about to come away from the backing if they got mega hot.
Those brake shoes look a bit tortured - you would expect them to be new, smooth and dull, or evenly shiny .. I would also check that the initial hot brakes issue did not cause the drums to warp. Which would make them very difficult to adjust, if you spin the wheels and they always bind in two places with no rubbing at any angle in between.
Stripped it all down and the decision is made. The shoes themselves show real damage, if not breaking up. I’m going to do a full strip & re-build on the whole thing along with the new cables & draining n replacing the brake fluid. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It’s worth changing the rear flexible pipes and wheel cylinders too, also strip the star adjusters out clean and copperslip them and you’ll thank yourself when it comes to adjusting them up.
But be aware that if the drums are NOT warped, hang onto them even if the wear is near the limit. It was the aftermarket rear brake drums that warped after a handbrake incident. So the original ones went back on after a quick clean up with a flap sander on the edges of the drums so I could get them over the shoes.
Yep, do this. Good opportunity to replace the rear cylinders. In fact, change everything apart from the drums.
If I want to replace the backing plates, do I have to remove the castle nut and if so is that difficult? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Be prepared to grunt a little the castle nut sits at 253 ft lb most of the way down the thread. other than that it's pretty straightforward and can easily be worked out by eye.
In that case they’re staying. I still have a hernia following bowel surgery 8 years ago and have no intention of irritating it ! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
one of the star adjuster clips is broken and I thought that you had to change the back plate, but I see VWH offer a replacement part on its own. If it’s ever back in stock! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
As I recall, they’re riveted on, which might be a tussle. Can undo your nuts with the long breaker bar (3/4” drive preferred), or splash out on a rattle gun, which will have them off in no time.
