Update on rear brake binding ???

[John B]

Right, I've change the cylinder and a new set of springs, wheel turns freely with it all adjusted up so then took for a spin and drum is still getting hot. Back home I decided to clamp the flexy brake hose and release the pressure from the bleed nipple on cylinder so basically the hydralic side of the brake is disabled but the drum is still getting hot so am I looking at a bad drum or wheel bearing ??? But what I don't understand is when the car is up in the air it's fine and will a bearing really make the drum too hot to touch after only 3 or 4 mile drive ?

[Kishada]

Funny you should mention wheel bearing, I was starting to ponder that.
I would expect you could feel play if it was that bad.
The rear wheels are tough to turn so detecting a roughness or whine in the bearing spinning the wheel by hand would be very difficult. Can you hear any whine on a roadtest?
Have you checked for play with the wheel on the ground without it jacked eg grab the wheel at the top and push/pull?

Have you also run the brake with the handbrake cable disconnected from the shoe lever just to make sure?

Also is there any lip of rust on the edge of the drum that you need to fight to remove/install the drum?

[John B]

Hi, I don't thing it's a wheel bearing as it's too much heat at verry little distance and no play at all in wheel so thinking about it that drum got very hot a few months ago due to me over tightening the handbrake cable so I think the drum is to blame. Can I swap them side to side to try that ? Cheers. John

[Sweety]

You could swap the drums over & see if the the drum is getting hot on the other side if it is then it's prob the drum but if it doesn't & the same side is still getting hot then i'd be looking at the wheel bearing

[John B]

Originally Posted by Sweety

You could swap the drums over & see if the the drum is getting hot on the other side if it is then it's prob the drum but if it doesn't & the same side is still getting hot then i'd be looking at the wheel bearing

Is that a big job mate ?

[Sweety]

Take both rear wheels off then the drums & swap them over no idea on the wheel bearings as never had to do one touch wood

[rustic]

Since you are desperate, I have been racking my brains... In the old days, they used to chamfer the leading edges of brake shoes, ie file a 45 degree angle across the width on the leading edges. But Wear a mask!

I wonder why?
Was this to prevent the shoe binding and putting the brake on, and so heating up?

Just a thought...

Was there another reason...?

Sounds logical to me.

Also check the brake lining is securely attached to the shoe, it has been known for these to become detached.

Also, are you sure you have the right shoes, there are two versions, one slightly wider than the other, so compare each side.

That's my brain overworked for this weekend.


Rustic

[puddle hoppers inc.]

over width shoes would surely show up as bright metal tho? its a tough one. last chance from me, have you tried bleeding the brake on that corner? maybe a bit of shite is blocking the return of the fluid? try bleeding that corner but totally remove the nip b4 the down stroke to give a wider bore? i know, sounds outlandish but i reckon youve ckecked the basics now...

[macabethiel]

Originally Posted by John B

Right, I've change the cylinder and a new set of springs, wheel turns freely with it all adjusted up so then took for a spin and drum is still getting hot. Back home I decided to clamp the flexy brake hose and release the pressure from the bleed nipple on cylinder so basically the hydralic side of the brake is disabled but the drum is still getting hot so am I looking at a bad drum or wheel bearing ??? But what I don't understand is when the car is up in the air it's fine and will a bearing really make the drum too hot to touch after only 3 or 4 mile drive ?

Its a daft question but how hot is your hot ? Are you talking hot brake drums with smelly hot brake shoes or just hot to the touch ?

Can't see that distorted drums are anything to do with it.
If you have no binding on the drum when its off the ground and you rotate it by hand I can't see the adjuster causing an oval drum to bind they are not that good.

Has this just come on out of the blue or has something been done to this hub?

If the bearing was overheating you would normally hear it and feel it when you jack it off the ground and rotate the wheel.
Has someone over tightened the bearing nut ?
Not sure on yours if its an adjustable bearing with a split pin or a pre-set torque with a collapsable spacer ?

[elty001]

Had a similar issue on my old terrano and it turned out to be a knackered hand brake cable.
It was jamming up but not all the time.sometimes if would release and some times it wouldn't.
It's a bit of a head scratcher this one

[John B]

Thanks for your help everyone, I've completely disconnect the hydralic side of things and it still does it. The shoes were put on in April this year and shortly after it got hot. The reason why this has all come to light is because the handbrake was binding so I striped it down and added a spring from the arm on the shoe to the shoe itself to return the handbrake arm. The handbrake is working fine and I don't think it's the cable as the drum gets hot even with the handrake completely slack. The shoes are made by mintex and I noticed that the lining on the two shoes are a different thickness. On both sides the shoe with the thickest lining is facing forwards.

[John B]

Originally Posted by macabethiel

Its a daft question but how hot is your hot ? Are you talking hot brake drums with smelly hot brake shoes or just hot to the touch ?

Can't see that distorted drums are anything to do with it.
If you have no binding on the drum when its off the ground and you rotate it by hand I can't see the adjuster causing an oval drum to bind they are not that good.

Has this just come on out of the blue or has something been done to this hub?

If the bearing was overheating you would normally hear it and feel it when you jack it off the ground and rotate the wheel.
Has someone over tightened the bearing nut ?
Not sure on yours if its an adjustable bearing with a split pin or a pre-set torque with a collapsable spacer ?

It's getting hot so that the brakes start to bind, to the point you can feel it stop the car on its own when in traffic etc

[macabethiel]

Clutching at straws but suspect wrong brake linings.

[spautoparts]

Had the same problem with my T2. Turned out to be a seized handbrake cable. Changed it and the problem went away

[John B]

Originally Posted by macabethiel

Clutching at straws but suspect wrong brake linings.

Is there more than one type then mate?