I have been following this guide: http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/186946-cleaning-fabia-rear-drum-brakes/

Now at the end of the process I am unable to get the drum back over the brake. The handbrake is off and shoes appear centered .

Any help muchly appreciated.

Edited 2 April, 201115 yr by jimbell

Main problem is that the shoes expand outwards making it difficult to fit drum over them!! Solution; fully retract the brake shoes by lifting up the wedge key!! (push up with a screwdriver the top fixing for the vertical spring) Just looked at guide.... problems...no wonder you got!!! Do as above then once you have torqued nut up to 8Nm (nothing really) then put your foot on brake pedal several times, you will hear clicking as the adjuster operates, keep on,off,on,off slowly until it dosn't click, then it's fully adjusted!!

Edited 2 April, 201115 yr by fabdavrav

If once the adjusters are backed off fully you are still having problems then the drums may have quite a worn lip on them, if so this can be ground off to make fitting them back on easier.

If once the adjusters are backed off fully you are still having problems then the drums may have quite a worn lip on them, if so this can be ground off to make fitting them back on easier.

I'd advise against that without checking the diameter of the drum, if there is a lip it might well be work above the maximum limit.

Main problem is that the shoes expand outwards making it difficult to fit drum over them!! Solution; fully retract the brake shoes by lifting up the wedge key!! (push up with a screwdriver the top fixing for the vertical spring) Just looked at guide.... problems...no wonder you got!!! Do as above then once you have torqued nut up to 8Nm (nothing really) then put your foot on brake pedal several times, you will hear clicking as the adjuster operates, keep on,off,on,off slowly until it dosn't click, then it's fully adjusted!!

What nut?

What nut?

Sorry..... brain fart!! Screw not nut!! for securing the drum to hub!!

Ahh I see.

The above method is fine and how it should work I just find it rarely does properly which is why a lot of new cars have high handbrakes. Adjusting the shoes once the drum is on should make putting the drum on a lot easier as the shoes are all the way in to start with..

Yea, I'm with Tech1e, I'd check the thickness of the drum just to make sure.

Hi Guys,

Reset the drum brake adjuster, after un-seizing the majority of the mechanism. Once the drum was on tried the self adjust by pressing the brake pedal which worked after working some oil in around the adjuster mechanism (and some servo help!). Just finished adjusting the handbrake which was well out after the process.

Was a good job I followed the guide as one of the drums was almost entirely seized and only passed an MOT not so long ago.

Thanks,

Jim