New brakes - struggle now over - MOT passed!

Post by **Dominic** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:40 pm

Hi folks

Ok ok - I know I've bored everyone silly with my braking problems so far - not least myself!

All leaks have been stopped up now. The brakes are still however pulling to one side. I noticed that there was a lovely shine on the high spots on the new shoes, from contact with the drum. I have obviously cleaned everything thoroughly, including emery papering both drums and sets of shoes, and adjusted equally both sides.
I then filed the high spots away on the least powerful brake shoe, including a ridge right around the outer edge of the top shoe where the brake lining is overhanging by 1/32".

However, it is still pulling, though maybe not as much.

Has anyone any ideas as to why?

PS suspension joints are bolted tight, both sides, nothing loose. Tyres equally pressured.

Post by **PSL184** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:42 pm

are the drums new? I had a problem with one of my rears and it turned out the drum was slightly oval. Not by much but enough to mess things up. New drums and I can now stop with a smile

Post by **Dominic** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:48 pm

No, the same oldish drums that have been on since I bought the car. They were working fine before the new braking system. The drums are the only things apart from rear shoes that haven't been changed.

Post by **rayofleamington** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:53 pm

It's annoying but sometimes it goes away when they are bedded in...
If it's still doing it just as bad after a few hundred miles (or 50 miles of town / commuting) then it's likely to be some other problem, not just bedding in.
Due to these kind of hassles, it's best to fit new shoes well before MOT time (I always mean to but rarely give myself the easy option)

Post by **Dominic** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:01 pm

Ermmm therein lies a problem Ray - I can't drive around legally bedding them in as no MOT until the brakes are sorted. Maybe a few surreptitious drives will have to be done up & down the road followed by some careful filing!

Post by **d_harris** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:09 pm

How bad is the difference? Might be worth sticking it in for the test and see what happens?

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:17 pm

The rears can cause 'pulling' too (not as bad as the fronts) , so it's worth checking them out - but I suggest you first off swap front drums over side to side - does the 'pull' follow the drum? If not, then swap one shoe over from one side to the other - this may even out any uneveness. In all the leaks - did any brake fluid get on the shoes ? If so - they won't clean up and new shoes will be required.

Post by **Dominic** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:18 pm

I think if I explain that these are new shoes, forced onto me by the failure of new wheel cylinders leaking over their predecessors at the MOT last week, he might look kindly at the retest (with luck!)

Do people concur that this is the likeliest problem? I can't think of anything else now!

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:22 pm

If it's noticeably pulling - they just can't pass it. So try the swaps and see if it gets any better.

Post by **PSL184** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:43 pm

Mine was the same problem - worked fine until I fitted new shoes then it showed up the drum problem. I can only assume the old shoes were worn to the shape of the drums....

Post by **Dominic** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:20 pm

Sorted! Changed drums across - a little more "fettling" of the shoes to bed them in (keep filing off the highspots, refit, rotate the wheel while adjusted tight, and repeat until a reasonably spaced series of shiny patches is left).
Thanks everyone for your invaluable help. I just can't tell you all how grateful I am!
Dom

Post by **bmcecosse** » Wed Sep 24, 2008 9:28 pm

Best of luck for the MOT retest!

Post by **Dominic** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 1:10 pm

Thanks mate - passed without further problems, thanks to your advice and my "fettling" the brakes are now perfectly balanced according to the MOT test rig.

Post by **bmcecosse** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 6:18 pm

Bravo!

Post by **rayofleamington** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:09 pm

Well done - I had loads of problems with this a few years ago - had to keep swapping parts then it started pulling the other way. I got my MOT re-test on sympathy I think

but 2 days after the test (i.e. after they'd bedded in) they worked fine.
I think it helps to mention 'new shoes' at the test station, but they must of course follow the rules.