Front brake drum

[Jahu]

Hi,
Have a 1982 GTL with a siezed brake drum, althought the drum turns quite easily it will not pull off. I have lubricated the studs, even tried heating it, belting it with a mallet but all to no avail. Also noticed that there are no brake adjusters on either wheel. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Steve Hennessey]

The rear shoes have an automatic adjuster so that's why you can't see any external adjusters. The studs are fixed into the drum so lubricating them makes no difference.

The drum won't come off because there will be a raised edge of rust / scale on the inner surface of the drum and it's getting in the way of the shoes. Possible causes are a seized wheel cylinder, seized or sticky handbrake cable, wear in the drum or seized adjuster mechanism / pivots. Don't use heat as you could melt the bearing grease and this will drip nicely into the bottom of the brake drum and could contaminate the shoes.

Do check that the handbrake cable is working ok. If so, slacken the cable at the lever end and then try to remove the drum again without hitting with a mallet. Use a decent hammer instead!! I assume that you have removed the bearing nut and the outer bearing??

Sometimes the only way to get the drum off is by brutal force and this results in having to buy new shoe retainers. In any event the drum may need skimming to remove the ridge of rust. Don't bend the brake backplate under any circumstances.

 

[pepper]

Sorry but does your GTL have front brake drums?

I thought all GTL,s had front discs?

They can be a little difficult to get off, I've had to do as Steve says in the end and bent the shoe retainers to get the drums off then replaced the retainers.

 

[Jahu]

Thanks for your replies but have managed to get the swine off. It was the front drum and there were to small screw holes which I put bolts and washers on and used a two legged
puller and a bang with the mallet and wood. I thought using a hammer may have resulted in a cracked drum. Have been trying to remove the brake shoes but cannot seem to realease the springs that hold the brake shoe onto the back plate. Have tried turning the spring also turned the flat square on the back of the drum but no joy. As regards the model this car was an import from France and converted to RHD. Whether the engine was changed during that conversion I am not sure but it shows 688 on the engine block, so I presumed it was a GTL.

 

[pepper]

Ahh. its the same as mine then, mines a TL with drums and a 688 engine block.

I did wonder! The squares at the back of the drum are the adjusters, generally they tend to be very seized, you can buy the correct square spanner to adjust them from Halfords and other motor accesory shop.

 

[Jahu]

The squares I mentioned are the ends of the toggle that hold the springs which retain the brake shoe against the backplate. As I mentioned before I can find no adjusting suare nuts on the back plates. The handbrake works on the front wheels and I presume there is a self adjusting function within the brake assembly. Viewing the assembly there are two serated edges working against each other which I presume is the self adjuster.I am still trying to release the brake shoe retaining springs.

 

[Bertl]

I think GTLs gained front disc brakes at the time of the move to the new style dash and the inside door hinges.
James is model year 1979 and has drums at the front.

Robert

 

[mr-reno-139]

the springs that hold shoes on have a hook on the end
i have got an old 6mm dia philips screwdriver grind point off and cut a 3mm slot in the end if you push in and twist slightly it will un hook be careful not to stretch springs unless you have new ones
probably a proper tool listed somewhere

 

[Jahu]

Thanks Mr-Reno that makes sense as I thought could see some kind of hook but could not work out what is was. I'll start searching through the screwdrivers, many thanks.

 

[angel]

These small bolt holes you describe, Jahu, are for extracting the drum, but with a simpler and easier way that you describe. Just take two appropriately sized bolts (M6 thread) bolt them on, and tighten them alternatively. They will bear against the hub, therefore pushing the brake drum outside.

The official manual shows a little hole on the drums, to put a rod through it and set the automatic adjusters back, so that the drum can be removed. But I cannot find such a hole, neither on the drum nor on the backplate on my Jogging (also drum-braked). Does anyone has another way to set the automatic adjusters manually? Or should I resort to drilling this hole myself?

 

[Jahu]

Nice one Angel, it is always the obvious that I miss but at the time I was not sure what the two holes backed onto.