Cleaning Fabia rear drum brakes.

[Tech1e]

Thought i'd make up a little guide to cleaning and adjusting rear brakes on a Fabia. This is how I do them, might not be the way everyone does them but it works for me. As for brakes if your not confident or sure then ask a pro.

Always a good start to de adjust the handbrake cable on the lever, I haven't included that bit in my pictures but the adjustment is just under the back of the centre console.

The drum (no shock there)

First up take out the T30 securing screw, you may require a impact driver for this but a little tip tap the screw with a hammer this should loosen it up and it will come out.

With that out now you need to de adjust the drum, a spike/awl like this is ideal as it fits into the adjuster.

Line up the adjuster inside with one of the bolt holes then force the adjuster up. The adjuster is a sprung wedge, the spring forces is down and as the wedge is thicker at the top if forces the shoes outwards. This will de adjust the shoes.

A small tap with a hammer might be required to free the drum off the hub

With the drum off give the shoes etc a clean

Then make sure everything is nice and dry

You need to check the wheel cylinders, check they move back and forth and not seized and also have a look behind the boots, check they aren't leaking fluid.

Inspect the shoes for wear, these are fine

Its a good idea to reface the shoes and drums, this removes any glaze that can occur and cause squealing.

Shoes all cleaned up and ready for the drum to go back on.

With the drum back on the shoes need to be adjusted, hook the adjusting wedge with the end of the spike and lever it down. You will hear the wedge click down, keep clicking it down until the shoes just touch the drums. Spin the drums up and check they are free, don't over adjust them or they will bind when they get warm. When spinning you should just hear the shoes running on the drums.

Then re adjust the handbrake cable and your done. Obviously road test to check everything is ok.

Edited 11 January, 2011 by Tech1e

[sausage roll]

Excellent guide!

As mentioned though, only touch your brakes if you know what you are doing!

[seboni121]

Hi my brakes have been binding badly in the mornings asked the stealer and he said what to do but leave the hand brake off so its quite easy to clean then

[anewman]

Thanks very much for the guide. Never considered adjusting the shoes *out* with the drum on, I've usually done trial and error adjust out and try to fit drum - I guess this will be a good time saver once I have got the knack of how much to adjust it.

My handbrake has been binding up too recently, and they tend to make almost like a grinding noise when braking which goes away after braking a bit, so I need to take a look in there.

[Tech1e]

Check the lever arm that comes off the back shoe isn't seized, normally causes it.

[bunt27]

Removed drums and cleaned brakes as instructed but noticed the wedge key was in a different way on each side.What is the correct way the small dimple on it facing in the way or out ????

[Tech1e]

If you can pull it down all the way and it doesn't catch don't think it matters.

[VWD]

Removed drums and cleaned brakes as instructed but noticed the wedge key was in a different way on each side.What is the correct way the small dimple on it facing in the way or out ????

Found this courtesy of PD75.knew there would be something ,but nothing came up in search .From Haynes ,dimple faces outwards .

Again,Haynes suggests removing Stub axle to make life easier on some models .

Another tip from them is that the adjust nut can "sometimes " be accessed by removing the rear ashtray .None on my 04 TDI, but removing the plastic tray gives access .

Edited 15 October, 2011 by VWD

[Dave1953]

Thanks very much for the guide. Never considered adjusting the shoes *out* with the drum on, I've usually done trial and error adjust out and try to fit drum - I guess this will be a good time saver once I have got the knack of how much to adjust it.

My handbrake has been binding up too recently, and they tend to make almost like a grinding noise when braking which goes away after braking a bit, so I need to take a look in there.

I thought shoe adjustment was automatic? Just pump the brake pedal a few times after refitting the drums, then readjust the handbrake travel to about five clicks and everything should be fine (or so I'm led to believe, and I've had no MOT problems with them).

[Tech1e]

Should be automatic, they just don't work very well

[somersetboy]

When doing rear shoes I have always been advised on de-adjusting the handbrake, but never understood why. Can anyone clarify this??

[Tech1e]

It's good practise as its the correct order really. The handbrake won't be adjusted properly if the rear shows are out of adjustment. But if the handbrake is over adjusted it will effect the shoes so de adjust that first, get the shoes adjusted correctly then set the handbrake.

[Ben Cordy]

I used this guide on Sunday, can't believe the difference it's made! Bri stuff as always @Tech1e

[gerryfr]

Super guide. What is the cleaning fluid you used in the picture?. My drums are a dark mess inside and I'd really like to get them shiney like yours in the picture. Many thanks

[gerryfr]

Anone know what to use to clean the drums?

[anewman]

Anone know what to use to clean the drums?

Brake cleaner. You can buy it in spray cans.

[krazykev]

I just changed my fathers brake cables only to be greeted by rusted out springs and a pair of drums with a thick crusty layer of rust on the edge of the drums.  it was so thick it was rubbing on the back plate.  I had to grind off the crusty rust with a grinder to stop it rubbing on the back drum.

At least the spring kit was only just over £6 from the local motor factor.

 

My advice to anyone with noisy rear brakes is to ensure the drums are not rubbing on the back plates

[indyjones]

Sorry I am being dense, I have stripped down the drums and cleaned them up but not sure where the adjuster is. Can somebody please circle it on the photo so I know what to leaver please when I put them back together. Discs are sooo much easier.......

 

PS great guide thanks.

Edited 2 October, 2015 by indyjones

[Breezy_Pete]

Look at the ninth photo, where a screwdriver is being used to lift the rubber boot at the left end of the wheel cylinder. 

 

Just to the left of the screwdriver tip, the adjuster is the shiny vertically-oriented wedge-shaped thing behind the left shoe. It has a spring coming off its thin lower end going vertically downwards.

[snufkin]

I changed my brake shoes ok (this guide very useful, much appreciated), but as I was putting the stuff back together I noticed the 2 retaining springs I have are slightly different - one is longer than the other (something like 5 turns instead of 4), so it gets more compressed (as the distance between back plate and shoe is the same for leading and trailing shoes) and therefore holds the shoe tighter against the back plate.

It was the same on each side - 1 longer spring and 1 shorter one.

Looking at the pictures above, pictures of spring kits and documentation at http://www.matthewames.co.uk/briskoda/20090410_rear_drums/octy_rear_drums.pdf they all show the 2 retaining springs as identical.

So my question is, should I put the longer spring on the leading or trailing shoe? Or does it not matter? Or maybe I just have odd one and everyone else's are identical.

[Breezy_Pete]

I don't think it will matter much. Can't say I've noticed any difference between them in my visits to this area?

 

Did you notice that the inside edge of the shoes pushes against the backplate onto 3 or 4 plastic 'glide pieces' about 12mm in diameter? These are a push-fit into the backplate and seem to get badly churned up over the years.  I'll check what the part number is.  I think having nice smooth new ones of those would make much more difference to the mobility of the shoes than the retaining springs.  Item 3 here, 6N0609589, I think there's 3 per shoe, 12 for the whole car. This google image will give you an idea what I'm on about, and kinda confirms the 12 qty: https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fskodaauto.com.pl%2Fuser%2Fimages%2F6N0609589.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fskodaauto.com.pl%2Fpodkladka-slizgowa-szczek-skoda-fabia-komplet-12-sztuk-p-624.html&docid=BhxbC93Iayfq-M&tbnid=-wlKzaXwm0iOfM%3A&w=1632&h=1224&bih=620&biw=1366&ved=0ahUKEwj4j52upsvMAhWKD8AKHfzABukQMwghKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8

Edited 8 May, 2016 by Wino

[snufkin]

Interesting! I've put mine back together otherwise I'd take a picture to show you, but I'm pretty sure mine just had 3 flat raised sections of the back plate that the shoe runs on. One of the shoes was seized rusted to them (the cause of MOT failure for brake efficiency), and surely that wouldn't happen against plastic. There was no recess or hole in the middle of each one that the plastic glide pieces would need to be pushed into. I put a dab of brake grease on each of these before re-assembly.

Mine's an early model, a Y reg, 2001, so maybe they changed to a better design with the plastic bits soon after?

Thanks for the info though. It will surely be useful for other people who read this.

[Breezy_Pete]

Hmm, not sure. Seems to show the same bits/part number when I look up for a 2001? They may have worn away to almost nothing I guess? Have a look at the back of the backplates, see if you can see the little holdy-inny bits?

[snufkin]

Good point - I'll take a look and report back.

[snufkin]

You're absolutely right - I see the little cross-top clips on the back (see picture). What I took to be raised parts of the back plate must have been the raised plastic dots.

I don't know if I want to take them all apart again to replace the plastic bits, but thanks for the info - I'll know for next time.