Morris Minor Owners Club

I'm fitting new brakes and cylinders for the 1st time, is this correct ? Before I move on I'd sooner check i am doing it right

Looks OK. I can't see the pull-off springs very well. These are not symmetrical. You have correctly fitted them behind the shoes but I cannot tell if they are the right way up. There is a long spiral spring part and a short spiral part with a straight wire in between. The short spiral spring part goes nearest the piston. The idea is that the piston cannot foul on the spiral spring bit.

The picture is of Wolseley 1500 front brakes but the same principle applies.

Stephen

Both my springs are the same in looks

Mime are same as this

Ah! The 7" front brake springs are symmetrical. The 8" front springs are not or at least what is currently being sold isn't.

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/brake ... es-p829440

https://www.morrisminorspares.com/brake ... es-p829441

Stephen

So I'm good to go as they are ?

Looks fine to me.

Stephen

Looks good to me too. As a tip, its always a good idea when doing jobs that require dismantling for the first time to take a photo/photos.

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 04, 2025 4:13 pm Looks good to me too. As a tip, its always a good idea when doing jobs that require dismantling for the first time to take a photo/photos.

Although, always good to check the manual just in case the previous owner fitted something incorrectly in the past.....

Yeah, that can - and does - happen, for sure

myoldjalopy wrote: ↑Tue Nov 04, 2025 5:44 pm Yeah, that can - and does - happen, for sure

Definitely. There's a guy on the FB group asking about brakes and his brakes are definitely not standard Minor drum brakes. I don't know what vehicle they came from!

Stephen

Fixed now ignore this lol


Fitting passenger side fronts, but can't get drum back on, adjusters on minimum, what am I doing wrong?

Update, looking at pic two,looks like cylinders not closed fully ?

Bottom shoe way off centre, adjuster slipped sideways but you've fixed it now anyway.

Now you have the drums back on, push the brake pedal down hard a few times. This helps to centralise the shoes before you try to use the shoe adjusters.

Stephen

What I did was undo the bolts a bit holding the cylinders and drum when straight on, I then tightened them up, just the rears to do, I'll do them Saturday as want on brake cleaner.

svenedin wrote: ↑Wed Nov 05, 2025 12:57 pm Bottom shoe way off centre, adjuster slipped sideways but you've fixed it now anyway.

Now you have the drums back on, push the brake pedal down hard a few times. This helps to centralise the shoes before you try to use the shoe adjusters.

Stephen

Dont get that solution ! The shoes were way off being central, (see your picture) However if its now ok, good.

Umm...they just needed a bit of wiggling/jiggling to get everything lined up properly.

les wrote: ↑Wed Nov 05, 2025 4:48 pm Dont get that solution ! The shoes were way off being central, (see your picture) However if its now ok, good.

Yeah... Whether double or single piston layout, or with shoes top/bottom or left/right, all I've ever done is hold the drum slightly further towards the car at one of the spots where the 2 shoes end, i.e a piston. With that part of the drum a few millimetres onto the shoes, press across and in at the opposite side to centralise on the shoes, them adjust the position to line up with the studs...
That sounds more complicated than it is.

Thank for feedback, I'm just glad it went on it the end lol
Not done rears yet, looking to do them Sunday

ttwlr wrote: ↑Sat Nov 08, 2025 11:23 am Thank for feedback, I'm just glad it went on it the end lol
Not done rears yet, looking to do them Sunday

Good luck. I find the rears considerably more difficult than the front. The pull-off springs are very strong and the beehive springs are an absolute pain to fit. Allow more time than on the front.

I found that after replacing the cylinders (but not the shoes as well) that the handbrake needed adjusting. See workshop manual for how to adjust the handbrake correctly if required.

Stephen

That's for that advice, and that spring looks like trouble, it's a beast of spring, no doubt I'll be cursing some doing these

svenedin wrote: ↑Sat Nov 08, 2025 11:54 am

ttwlr wrote: ↑Sat Nov 08, 2025 11:23 am Thank for feedback, I'm just glad it went on it the end lol
Not done rears yet, looking to do them Sunday

Good luck. I find the rears considerably more difficult than the front. The pull-off springs are very strong and the beehive springs are an absolute pain to fit. Allow more time than on the front.

I found that after replacing the cylinders (but not the shoes as well) that the handbrake needed adjusting. See workshop manual for how to adjust the handbrake correctly if required.

Stephen