Morris Minor Owners Club

I am at my wits end with my back brakes. New shoes, cylinders and drums about 1000 miles ago but I still have a persistent scrunk-scrunk-scrunk-scrunk-scrunk-sort of noise from the brakes and some squeaking too. Seems to be once every revolution. I chamfered the linings and the return springs are towards the inside of the car, adjusted up as far as they would go and back a click. Same happens if I just apply the handbrake.

Odd thing is, if I do a bit of left foot braking and warm things up a bit the noise virtually disappears. Once all has cooled down again the noise is there again.

Any suggestions and I will try them out tomorrow as I have the day off! I can't really make a comparison with how the brakes were before the new stuff went on as they were so badly worn one of the linings had become detached and the drums were scored (before I owned the car I hasten to add)

Are the return springs fitted correctly - so they DON'T rub on the hub/halfshaft ?

I'm pretty sure they are bmc they are fitted to the inside and if I turn the halfshaft I can't see any way they could contact anything, seems a fair bit of clearance. Can you think of anything else, the new brake linings seem pretty roughly finished to me, have there been problems with them being a bit "off?"

When you jack it up - is the noise there when you turn the wheel ? Does it cease if you gently apply the handbrake ?
Are the cylinders free to side up and down in the backplate ??

The noise isn't there when I'm not braking so I don't think it will be there if I turn the wheel when the car is on the jack. Yes the cylinders slide ok. Pulling the handbrake on gently starts the noise off and it gets worse if I pull it on hard. The back wheels do lock up if I slam the handbrake on so they are at least fairly capable. It feels like something is maybe out of true as I can feel a bit of oscillation too through the pedal, I will check tomorrow if the entire surface of the new linings are contacting the drum. If feels as if it will never bed in properly

Maybe the backplate is slightly bent - and holding the shoes over so they can rub edgewise on the drum? Did you fit the bee-hive springs ?? I haven't used them (on a Minor) in 45 years - but just maybe they have a purpose !!
I HAVE to use them on my TR7 - or the shoes just flop about uselessly!

I will check the backplate tomorrow. Yes I did fit the beehive springs though never had them on my previous Minors. Maybe I'll take them off and see if that makes any difference, shouldn't do though

Unless maybe they fell off - and are now buzzing round inside the drum!

No I looked yesterday the critters are still in place. Another thing I noticed when fitting the new shoes - had to crank the snail cam adjuster up a lot to get the shoes to contact the drums - thought at the time well there won't be much adjustment left on these then. And that's on brand new shoes and drums! Is this normal these days?

Could be - the 'snails' wear away too!

Maybe I should order new snails and send the bees back

Oh dear how embarrassing I HAD fitted the one spring on wrongly. Changed it round, re-centred the drums and noise gone. Looking at my snail cam masks the slots in them go down to the baseplate not like these from ESM (see pic) so maybe that is the reason I don't have a lot of adjustment, will order some today<br><br>

The adjusters do differ between 8" and 7" drums, so double check you have the right type first of all....

If you have enough adjustment at present - don't bother with new ones - these will be fine for years to come.
Well done finding the spring! And for telling us about it - this way others will benefit.

Hi Cormorant
the adjusting masks do not affect the adjusters the adjustment is caused by the cam on the snail as you turn the snail it travels up and down the slot so the mask just locates the adjuster i think anyway
ian

Hi if you look at the ESM site though they advise that any wear takes place on the mask rather than the snail cam - and my slots on the mask go down much further than the new item pictured so would imagine this would affect the amount of adjustment available?

ps they are the rears so 7"

Honestly - if you have good brakes at the moment - don't waste money on new adjusters!

Funny you say about the beehive springs - I fitted my rear shoes today and left the beehives off. When I drove it away there was a clonk each revolution from one of the wheels. I then fitted the springs - just in case - and the noise stopped.