adriantr4 Posted December 26, 2010 Report Share Posted December 26, 2010 (edited) Hello The brakes are dragging, I'm pretty certain its the rears & the drivers side. The foot pedal stops the car straight, whereas the handbrake pulls it to one side slightly (never used to) - but its rolling to a halt without my assistance .... I've had my '4 for years & never had this before, & not heard it discussed. I reckon its the handbrake system - but any previous experiences/solutions? Edited December 26, 2010 by adriantr4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted December 26, 2010 Report Share Posted December 26, 2010 Quite probably the cylinder has seized in its slot in the back plate. Best strip it down and re-assemble with copperslip.If one side has seized then I suspect the other wont be long so it would be a good idea to do both sides not forgetting to clean and re-grease the adjusters before assembly. Rear brakes dont do a huge amount of the braking effort which is why it still stops in a straight line. Stuart Quote Link to post Share on other sites
adriantr4 Posted January 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2011 Thanks Stuart, very helpful: Quite probably the cylinder has seized in its slot in the back plate. Best strip it down and re-assemble with copperslip.If one side has seized then I suspect the other wont be long so it would be a good idea to do both sides not forgetting to clean and re-grease the adjusters before assembly. Rear brakes dont do a huge amount of the braking effort which is why it still stops in a straight line. Stuart I took a look at the rear brakes today, & the news is mixed. [The handbrake causing a pull to one side is due to mis-adjustment - I had replaced a cable & its stretched a little] On the plus side, it all came apart without the struggle I was expecting. I had visions of siezed screws & adjusters. The cylinders & all other parts could all move freely, nothing stuck. On the negative, apart from working in the cold & rain outdoors(!) was that (1) I didnt find the problem & (2) one side was liberally coated with oil gunge, including the shoes. Leaving the dragging brakes aside for a second (didnt show up on a test run? Must be the fronts), how difficult is it to replace the hub seals? My Haynes manual refers to a puller. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Badfrog Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Leaving the dragging brakes aside for a second (didnt show up on a test run? Must be the fronts), how difficult is it to replace the hub seals? My Haynes manual refers to a puller. Hi Adrian, I did that years ago with a long (25") threaded rod, a SU H6 dash pot, nuts, washers and a piece of elastic metal shaped as an anchor (grabber). Mount the system, shove it in past the seal so the grabber catches the rear of the seal, apply the SU pot centered on the trumpet. Then screw the seal off. It's a cinch. Like Cheech and Chong used to say: "save off on whales, screw off the seals". Badfrog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted January 6, 2011 Report Share Posted January 6, 2011 Err you do need to remove the half shaft first A slide hammer with a hooked end will do the trick as well. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
adriantr4 Posted January 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Err you do need to remove the half shaft first A slide hammer with a hooked end will do the trick as well. Stuart. My thanks to Badfrog & Stuart. Final question (with rephrasing!) - How difficult is it to pull the half shafts in order to replace the hub seals? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 My thanks to Badfrog & Stuart. Final question (with rephrasing!) - How difficult is it to pull the half shafts in order to replace the hub seals? Remove the drum and the linings and disconnect the brake line and hand brake cable. You will see round the back plate a row of 6 attachment bolts. Behind the back plate the nuts are held with locking tabs on the end of the axle tube, bend the tabs back and undo the bolts (You will need new locking tabs for re-assembly) then you can remove the backing plate and the half shaft complete. Note the shims behind and dont lose any. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ade-TR4 Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Quote: "Assembly is reverse of the above procedure" In true Haynes manual stylee... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Badfrog Posted January 7, 2011 Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 Stuart said it all. Bolt-on shaft assembly, kid stuff. New lock-tabs, careful account of shims. In case of dubious history (French or US car), it may be wise to open the diff and check shaft clearance inside. Some guys will just pack shims like pancakes. Badfrog, did it, and did not regret it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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