tr7triumph.com

Hi all
first of all i noticed that with the handbrake on i could still drive the car and also some times it sounded like the rear brakes were rubbing slightly so I have jacked the car up today and it took alot of effort to turn the rear wheel so after alot of banging I have removed the hub.
my question first is what is the thickness of a new set of brake shoes so I can compare it with what is on there now to see if I need to order a new pair before I start stripping it all down to make sure everything is ok.
many thanks

I just measured a new set for my 5 speed car and they are just about 4.5 mm thick but its more likely to be a problem with the self-adjusters not doing any adjusting than just worn shoes.



Best plan is to start over and give them a proper check. Have the drums got a bad wear lip? Are the parts of the self adjusters all clean and free moving? etc etc

Have a look at the guide done by one of our American folks Clay Thompson

http://www.jclay.me/jclay/Rear_Brakes.html

Thanks for that link looks pretty good I measured mine with a tape measure so not exact but looked like 4mm so I am guessing not that worn so I will strip them down and take a look

Clean any rust and loose brake dust. On the few mating surfaces I apply a little brake grease on. Some people don't like that but it's especially formulated to not melt and migrate. Any brake dust will get attracted to it making it even thicker. I can lock back wheels in panic stop. When properly adjusted they should lightly drag on the drums. Make sure the ebrake isn't too tight (see manual). I had adjusted the ebrake on my Tercel as it seemed too loose only to find out that the rear shoes where dragging and wearing out. When I checked the manual (better late than never) I found that normal adjustment was six clicks (I think the 7 is similar) not the three to four I had set it for.

On the subject of grease as you say some people don't like using brake grease others say lithium grease some say graphite powder could anyone else out there tell me what they find the best to use and I will go with the majority.

I use a touch of copper grease on the ends of the shoes where they pivot. PC magazine is recommending that you apply it underneath the cylinders' rubber boots as well to prevent rust.

I don't put any grease on any part of handbrake mechanism inside the brake drums. As posted above I've found it combines with the brake dust to make a stodgy goo. This stops the handbrake mechanism from moving freely enough to be effective. I clean any corrosion off the parts with a wire brush before MOT time.

15 years ago now I polished up all the components of the self adjusters on the 7, where they touch each other, just with a wire brush in a drill.

I then puffed some graphite powder over all the moving parts before assembly. I've puffed a bit more graphite in there a couple or more times, & it all still works.

Hasbeen