Knackered rear brakes

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Tim
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Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 0:41
Location: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Knackered rear brakes

Post by Tim »

During the recent "Mokin' Downunder" event my moke did a lot more mileage than it normally would in just a few days, much of it on very steep roads. During the first few minutes of close convoy driving I realised that my brakes were not nearly as good as they should be. I almost had to introduce myself to a new friend by exchanging insurance details!

I pulled the rear brakes apart to get the dust out of them, adjust them and check their condition and found that the driver's side one was full of dust and the lining material had failed. I tried to photograph it but its a bit hard to make out. The black area is the smooth surface of the shoe, the light coloured area is where the lining material has all come away leaving a hollow.
Image

Both shoes were like it, but the leading one was worst. The passenger side ones were fine.

I've never seen anything like it before. All I can think is that they have been overheated and burnt. Several years ago I had a problem where the cable for the handbrake got jammed against the body, under the seats where the cables pass through, and I drove with one side of the handbrake partly held on. I remember at the time that the drum was very hot, and in fact it melted some of the powdercoating on the wheel.

Anyway, I've got some replacement shoes coming and I'll fit them and get them adjusted then see if the front brakes are working OK. The drums are fine - although maybe not the correct ones. I have Metro 4 pot calipers and ventilated disks on the front so when the brakes are right I should just about be able to stand the moke on its nose.

Tim

Tim
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spider
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Re: Knackered rear brakes

Post by spider »

Yeah, I agree, it does look like the shoe has overheated at some point.

Kinda reminds me on the last trip, we'd left Wilcannia for Broken Hill (near enough 200 km), on arriving at the Caravan Park, I reached down to pull the handbrake on :oops: :oops: Hmmm,,,,,,,,,,,,,, maybe it was automatic,,,,,,,,,,

Gee, with the 4 spots up front, I would think regardless of the rear brakes, it should do somersaults!
Old Mokers never die, they just smell that way.
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Tim
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Re: Knackered rear brakes

Post by Tim »

The brakes are pretty good when they are working 100%, but they do need a pretty firm push to bite hard - and they definitely require the rears to be adjusted up properly. Once I've done the rears, I suspect the fronts need looking at.

Tim
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Tim
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Re: Knackered rear brakes

Post by Tim »

Typical. The driver's side went back together OK, but when I went round to the passenger side one of the pistons had popped out. I should have clamped them!

Anyway I decided to try to clean it up on the car and reassemble it. I dislike doing it but decided to clamp off the hose, but found it very perished. Then the other piston was seized... So I pulled the wheel cylinder off and found it clagged full of smelly dead rubber. I tried to clean it up but it didn't clean out that well, so time to go shopping.

The pleasant surprise is that new hoses and wheel cylinders aren't nearly as expensive as I expected. The other side is the same age so I better get a pair of both.

Its probably a good thing I found it, they were getting pretty bad. I hate working on brakes.

Tim
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Nigel(no top)Sykes
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Re: Knackered rear brakes

Post by Nigel(no top)Sykes »

I think the worst bit on brakes is those dammed clips that hold the rear cylinders.... I hates them
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Robin Jones
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Re: Knackered rear brakes

Post by Robin Jones »

Nigel(no top)Sykes wrote:I think the worst bit on brakes is those dammed clips that hold the rear cylinders.... I hates them
After buggering up several while trying to use the special tool for installation, I resorted to the two screwdriver method. Easy-peasy.
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spider
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Re: Knackered rear brakes

Post by spider »

Nigel(no top)Sykes wrote:I think the worst bit on brakes is those dammed clips that hold the rear cylinders.... I hates them
I've often heard that, but I guess I must be doing them wrong as I find them quite easy to do, not something I ever think about.

I get one side and the middle 'ear' in the groove, then use a small screw driver to lever the last one over the edge of the boss, then use the screw driver to push the ear down until 'clip'.

Next time I do one, if I remember, I'll snap off some pics.
Old Mokers never die, they just smell that way.
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Tim
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Re: Knackered rear brakes

Post by Tim »

Well I finally got it all back together. Funny how I started out just taking the drums off to check and ended up replacing most of the rear brakes. Now it has new flexible hoses, new shoes, new wheel cylinders and I even replaced the handbrake lever boots. At least I can be confident now. I really had no idea it was so bad.

It went back together pretty easily but lack of space made it really awkward. The clips went on no problem, with a bit of screwdriver persuasion. I used my Gunson's Eezibleed again. It makes bleeding so much simpler, especially considering that no one in the family will do the pedal pumping thing!

I still have to put the wheels back on and do the final adjustment, but should be able to road test it tomorrow.

Tim
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