I'm having to yank my handbrake lever up a long way to apply the drum brakes on my Mk1 Fab. Also, when I remove the ashtray from the center consul, I see the equalaiser bar is lop sided when the brakes are off. Most of the pulling movement is used to equalise the bar. The brake shoes have only done 10k. The car has done 80k.

Has anyone got any ideas please? Thanks.

One of your rear brake shoes has corroded and has siezed,

 

Jack up the car to see which rear wheel is not braking fully when the handbrake is applied.

 

Once found, remove the rear brake drum and you will find that the hand brake lever is seized where it pivots on the brake shoe, you may be able to free it up in position, otherwise you may have to remove it and free up with plenty of movement and apply a little HM grease, don't get any on the brake shoe surfaces.

 

DB.

Thanks for the reply mogwhy. I'll give it a try.

Thanks for the reply mogwhy. I'll give it a try.

I would start with adjusting of cable first > if fresh shoes have done only 10k don't trust that shoe's lever is stucked in rivet so fast.

Remarks:

1.Check which of wheel starts to brake 1st- at this point you should stop adjusting at first catch. In another way one of wheels will continue to brake after releasing of hand lever.

Pulling-up of hand lever further will equalize handbrake force on both wheels at ~ +/=7 catches.

2.Get wrench like this- and it will became un-necessary to dismantle centre console for adjusting of cable.

3.Stupid question but... all parts are present in drum and mounted correctly? Caution to the wedge/it's positon/spring- it serves as automatic regulation of play for handbrake- in theory :-) you should have same hand lever travel from new to totally worn shoes.

Edited 5 August, 201411 yr by indars

Thanks for the reply indars. The problem is there is no adjustment left on the cable. I have screwed the nut as far as it can go. I'll be working on the car in 2 days time (if it stops raining!). I keep looking and looking again at the way the parts are mounted. They seem OK to me, but I could be wrong. I fitted the new shoes myself. Do the wedges wear so they need replacing? Cheers!

Further to MY post.

 

You will need to slacken off the handbrake adjuster to allow the shoe adjuster to set itself to it's minimum setting to allow the brake drum to slide over the shoes.

 

DB.

Edited 6 August, 201411 yr by mogwye

Further to MY post.

 

You will need to slacken off the handbrake adjuster to allow the shoe adjuster to set itself to it's minimum setting to allow the brake drum to slide over the shoes.

 

DB.

Right- everything assembled in drum section > handbrake nut slacken / lever down > hard press to pedal > must hear "clicks!" when wedges are pulled down in their places by vertical springs.

Thanks for the reply indars. The problem is there is no adjustment left on the cable. I have screwed the nut as far as it can go. I'll be working on the car in 2 days time (if it stops raining!). I keep looking and looking again at the way the parts are mounted. They seem OK to me, but I could be wrong. I fitted the new shoes myself. Do the wedges wear so they need replacing? Cheers!

Do wedges wear? In theory- yes... but not at 80K like your car have. Mine have 174 000km- only shoes have been replaced at ~ 80 000km (lever started to stick in rivet and cleaning doesn't helped + non-stop leaking wheel cylinders which still are mystery because brake fluid has been changed every 2 years).

Back to your issue- if assuming that both brake cables are ok and drum inner diam. +/- is ok > how about position of wedge?

Wedge's upper "bump" must look to centre of car (i.e., not facing shoe's metal part); almost everything shoul be lubricated to avoid wear and squeak, EXCEPT braking surfaces AND wedge / it's facing surfaces.

Then assemble everything > hard press to pedal > and wedges should be pulled down in their places with "click!" > hand lever adjusting...

I have the same problem with my car. I will need to replace the handbrake cables, but there's no panic. Even with a lot of travel, I can still quickly pull it in the snow and do a spin.   

Edited 11 August, 201411 yr by Alexandru

I've concluded that the self adjusters weren't self adjusting. I've come across an old thread on this topic saying that is quite common. I fitted new wedges and springs (no grease) but there was no change. Everything else was OK.

Taking advice from the earlier thread, I've manualy adjusted the wedges to get a good fit between shoes and drums.

The handbrake is now as per the book and foot brake travel has reduced considerably.

I'm going to make "adjust wedges" part of the annual service.

Thanks for all your help.

I've concluded that the self adjusters weren't self adjusting. I've come across an old thread on this topic saying that is quite common. I fitted new wedges and springs (no grease) but there was no change. Everything else was OK.

Taking advice from the earlier thread, I've manualy adjusted the wedges to get a good fit between shoes and drums.

The handbrake is now as per the book and foot brake travel has reduced considerably.

I'm going to make "adjust wedges" part of the annual service.

Thanks for all your help.

Hmm... how did you "manually" adjusted wedges?

Maybe pressure rod was worn (in place of contact with wedge) and new wedges didn't made effect?

To adjust each wedge I removed drum and the spring attached to end of wedge. With a flapwheel I removed slight lip on drum so I could get drum back on with shoes adjusted. I marked the wedge with a fine felt tip pen so I knew it's starting position. Holding the wedge with fingers of left hand, I released the pressure on the wedge by levering a screwdriver beteen the end of the forked rod that fits between the two shoes (I don't know it's correct name) and the shoe nearest the wedge. I then allowed the wedge to fall a couple of mm's and then released the screwdriver to trap the wedge in it's new position. Refitted spring and drum and checked drum was not binding. I did this 2 or 3 times on each wheel to get wedge in best position without the drums binding.

Your comment about ends of rods being worn is interesting. Never thought of that.

To adjust each wedge I removed drum and the spring attached to end of wedge. With a flapwheel I removed slight lip on drum so I could get drum back on with shoes adjusted. I marked the wedge with a fine felt tip pen so I knew it's starting position. Holding the wedge with fingers of left hand, I released the pressure on the wedge by levering a screwdriver beteen the end of the forked rod that fits between the two shoes (I don't know it's correct name) and the shoe nearest the wedge. I then allowed the wedge to fall a couple of mm's and then released the screwdriver to trap the wedge in it's new position. Refitted spring and drum and checked drum was not binding. I did this 2 or 3 times on each wheel to get wedge in best position without the drums binding.

Your comment about ends of rods being worn is interesting. Never thought of that.

To your last sentence: I meant this pressure rod (or plate):

This position of wedge (ok, spring not shown) you'll get when press it up before dismantling of drum (through wheel bolt bore).

And in opposite way- in that (upper) position wedge must be before placing of drum back.

Then hard press to pedal- and wedge fells down by force of it's spring.

Each time when you press pedal, wedge goes liiiiiitle bit' deeper and deeper and must stay in it's place to compensate lining's wear...

...with holding shoes as close as possible to drums.

Have replaced shoes once on my car... and now, after ~ 90K hand lever still have same count of clicks.

!

Sides of wedge (where it contacts pressure rod and shoe) must not be flat; it must have small recesses- for better fixing.

Main idea is that with this construction no manual adjusting is needed. To say more- there's nothing to be adjusted- except hand lever nut.

Rest is question about correct position of parts and their wear.

To your last sentence: I meant this pressure rod (or plate):

untitled.JPG

This position of wedge (ok, spring not shown) you'll get when press it up before dismantling of drum (through wheel bolt bore).

And in opposite way- in that (upper) position wedge must be before placing of drum back.

Then hard press to pedal- and wedge fells down by force of it's spring.

Each time when you press pedal, wedge goes liiiiiitle bit' deeper and deeper and must stay in it's place to compensate lining's wear...

...with holding shoes as close as possible to drums.

Have replaced shoes once on my car... and now, after ~ 90K hand lever still have same count of clicks.

!

Sides of wedge (where it contacts pressure rod and shoe) must not be flat; it must have small recesses- for better fixing.

Main idea is that with this construction no manual adjusting is needed. To say more- there's nothing to be adjusted- except hand lever nut.

Rest is question about correct position of parts and their wear.

 

From 11.09.14.: just spoke to friend which for many years have MK3 Golf with same construction of drums brakes- INDEED, manual adjustment of wedge can give better result for obtaining of min.distance from linings to shoe.

Good luck to us! :-)