[Healeys] Rear brake adjustment

Tue Mar 30 15:32:44 MDT 2021

Dangerous combination  ... Tamiami Trail and a Lincoln 😳😳

On Tue., Mar. 30, 2021, 5:24 p.m. , <rfbegani at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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 <healeys at autox.team.net>
> *Sent: *Tuesday, March 30, 2021 9:54 AM
> *To: *Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net>
> *Cc: *Healeys <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> 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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