[Healeys] Rear brake adjustment

Tue Mar 30 15:23:45 MDT 2021

While my BJ8 was still on stands after installing the engine and transmission, I took the rear brakes apart and installed new cylinders and shoes, springs etc.  It was a great deal of pushing and shoving to get the first one apart so I could clean and oil those items which would be moving.  Still, I had to take it apart and put it back together 3 times before the system looked and worked good.  The left rear brake was easier and took only 2 assemblies to get it right.  Then came the installation of the emergency brake. Again 2-3 times before it was adjusted and operating.  

Fast forward to last week when turning on to the Tamiami Trail and accelerating up to the 45 mph speed limit in very little traffic I approached a cross access of the 4 lane divided highway and carefully watched 2 cars waiting to cross in front of me when the big old Lincoln Town Car pulled out in front of me.  It was a good test of the brakes.  All 4 activated at the same time, helped by my new Michelin tires we stopped a full car length away from the passenger side doors.  I could see his Mrs. going into shock because the driver had come to a complete stop broadside in front of us.  

Before all this work on the brakes, my BJ8 rear wheels for years would activate independently as a result the car would slide sideways.  

Keep working on the brakes as the life you save might be your own.

Best regards,

Bob Begani

From: Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Harold Manifold via Healeys
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2021 4:18 PM
To: Roger Grace <roggrace at telus.net>; Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net>
Cc: Healeys <healeys at autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Rear brake adjustment

Does this help? Note the difference between item 2 and 4.

Harold Manifold

From: Roger Grace via Healeys <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net> 
Sent: Tuesday, March 30, 2021 9:54 AM
To: Bob Spidell <mailto:bspidell at comcast.net> 
Cc: Healeys <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net> 
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Rear brake adjustment

Yes thank you;  that sounds like a good explanation. As you say it is a bear of a job and just working up some stamina to tackle it again !

rg

On Mon, Mar 29, 2021 at 10:38 PM Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net <mailto:bspidell at comcast.net> > wrote:

re: "I note that the slave is tight on the back plate. How tight is 
normal floating ?"

I just spent several hours on my back on a greasy floor working on my 
BN2's rear drums. I didn't see any text in the shop manual explaining 
installation; most I found was a pic in the Moss catalog showing that 
the curved spring, with the 'hooks,' should be installed above the 
cylinder (between the cylinder and the handbrake lever). First, I 
installed the flat plate against the backing plate with the spring plate 
on top of it. Not only would the cylinder not move freely--which enables 
the self-energizing aspect of the brakes--but the rubber dust boot had 
nothing to hold it in place. I then reversed the installation; i.e. the 
spring plate was still above the cylinder, but under the flat plate 
(hooks up). This way the cylinder would slide smoothly and easily, which 
makes sense because there is less contact area, but the rubber boot, 
which is beveled on the inner part fit naturally under the flat plate 
and would stay in place when vigorously sliding the cylinder 
back-and-forth. Contact surfaces were lightly greased.

Short answer: the cylinder should slide smoothly and easily; otherwise 
the self-energizing feature could be defeated, and the cylinder could be 
stuck in the expanded position, which could explain your non-retracting 
problem.

Bob

On 3/29/2021 3:07 PM, Roger Grace via Healeys wrote:
> BJ8 ph2.
> I am Struggling to get consistent results for rear brake shoe adjustment.
> All part of a project to get handbrake working properly - currently it 
> is almost vertical.
> Background:
> New shoes, slaves and springs etc with less than 4k mi. Almost no sign 
> of any wear yet.
> Handbrake lever clevis pins removed.
> Steady post adjusted so the peg just touches when brakes are adjusted 
> tight.
> Then the adjustment set so you can just hear/feel slight brake drag.
> All OK so far.
>
> Here is the problem:
> When the handbrake lever is pushed with screwdriver or my hand it 
> moves with initial free play then clamps the shoes as it should.  
> However  when released brakes do not fully retract, and shoes bind and 
> not at  the same setting that started off with.
> Same story with using the hydraulics; seems to hang up, in not quite 
> the off position. Both wheels are the same.
> Shoes can be "reset"  to original setting by rattling the adjuster 
> back and forth in  the freeplay zone.
> All looks fine when drum is off and you can see the shoe operation.
>
> My thoughts :
> I observe that the new springs actually touch the inside of the shoes ?
> Maybe some grease there ? Is this interference normal ?
> Is it possible to incorrectly assemble the shoes/springs ?
> See photo of RR.
> I note that the slave is tight on the back plate. How tight is normal 
> floating ?
> Maybe I assembled the slave cylinder clips incorrectly ?
>
> All  suggestions appreciated
> rg
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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