Team MightyBoy

hi everyone, this is my first time i've ever owned a car with drum brakes so still trying to work it all out.

i took the van in for rego and the guy said he failed me because i didnt pass the brake test and said that they'll need adjusting and brought back to him. i know this is true as every now and then the brakes will pull to one side, kinda skidding out and pulling back in under hard and heavy braking.

so tonight i thought i'd try and adjust the shoes which is a nightmare in its self as each wheel has two wheel cylinders and two adjusting stars. so after trying to tap the stars this way and that to see if i could get any difference out of them i put it back together and took it for a spin, still grabbing fairly hard to passenger side. so i assuming that means the drivers side isn't working to well.

so took drivers side off again and i pumped the brakes a few times, not knowing you are not meant to do this. heard a bit of a pop (dust seals coming off) and noticed that both cylinders are pretty much all the way out with one spewing out fluid

so i backed off the hydraulic lines and pulled the pistons out wiped them down and had a look at the seals, seamed ok, wiped out cylinders and put them back in and connected up hydraulic lines again. i don't have any brake fluid on me so i can't bleed the system which i know i will have to do to get all the air out.

my couple of questions are:

> am i able to just put the pistons back in the cylinders and re use them, a couple of internet readings and some people are saying they'll be stuffed, i can't see why they would be though

> whats the best way to adjust drum brake shoes?

> how much fluid will i need to bleed the brakes?

> where can i find the guy who built these cars so i can beat him up for putting drums on the front of my suzuki

If you're adjusting the brakes and it isn't making any difference then first try bleeding the brakes. If that still does nothing then you're up for replacement slave cylinders. The other option is to have the old ones resleeved - cost is about the same either way.

unless there is a serious problem, you shouldn't need more than a 500mL bottle of brake fluid (depending how much fluid leaked out of the seals etc. !), i'm not sure what grade you would use though (DOT rating).

There should be no problem fittting the seals back in and reusing them if all looks ok. An other problem that can happen is the flexable brake hose that goes to the wheel drum when they get old they can collapse inside and don't let the fluid pass through properly and this can make the brakes behave in the way you mention.
as you can still get a good hard brake pedel but one wheel does not get the same pressure on it and then you have brake that pull to one side etc. And it also can make the brakes stick on a bit as the fluid that does get trough the hose than can't return very well.
If you think this may be the problem you need to pull out the flexable hose and try blowing through it both ends it should pass through easy if not you can sometimes poke a small piece of hard wire like coat hanger wire through the hose and clean it out. Tho sometimes the hose is just to far gone and you will have to replace it.Or better still just replace it if its bad if you can.
Hope this helps

Jamie

If flex hose playing up do not hesitate to replace. More often than not the inner of the hose has perished & split - a flap can develop inside the hose which ends up working as a valve that can lock the brakes on or off at the respective wheel.
Your life & passengers lives are worth more than risking it with a dodgy hose. Pushing a wire through the hose increases the possibility of the above occurring.

i did a bit of a test and swapped over the drums and the pulling seems to have switched sides as well, and both drums are definietely out of round with one being alot worse.

i might try and lathe them up at work on friday failing that drop them off to a brakes place on monday guy quoted $30 for both drums

machined them up at work best i could. made little to no difference anyway, kept violently pulling towards the passenger side.


i did how ever pull the drivers side wheel cylinders off, and have a good look at them, but of rust/corrosion/build looking stuff both in the cylinders and on the pistons so i gave them a good emorying and put it all back together, did another adjustment, bled the system again and seems to have fixed it stopping pretty much straight now. just hope its enough for a pink slip brake test.

i've ordered some new shoes for the front anyway as i think mine are quite contaminated and i know the rears are definitely starting to get on a bit.

I only have one complaint with my Carry and that is the rear brake adjustment. I have great brakes, but I know they can be better. I find it sheer stupidity that the drums have to be removed to adjust the brakes. Why could they not have put a slot in the rear of the hub so they can be adjusted with the drum on? It is so time consuming; take the drum off and adjust only to find that the drum won't go on, then turn it back and there is too much gap. I know I would adjust my brakes much more often if it was simpler.

put a slot in the rear of the hub

Hi Karu.

Isn't this something you could do / get done?

isn't there a hole on the front for this reason? i know the fronts have one i never bothered using it, just pulled them off and on. replaced the front wheel bearings as well when i machined them up

That is a great idea Tez, I am going to work on that. Thanks

just took the rear drums off my carry and they appear to be self adjusting?
ratchet type system

Correct. Rear brakes on a Carry are self-adjusting.