Front drums- setting up

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun Jan 23, 05 5:12 pm

My dart pulls up pretty straight although it does have new drums and slave cyliders on the back. However, starting to judder annoyingly under heavy use.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed May 04, 05 11:00 pm

Got a 12% imbalance on the MOT today, well within limits!
Stripped the brakes before the test,and replaced a suspect wheel cylinder,it always seemed OK when I checked it,but I got a couple of new ones,so I put them on.As you said yours did Dave, it kinda weaves a wee bit then pulls up strong! I reckon it makes me a safer driver now,as I always check my mirrors before I stamp on the pedal! The readings on the MOT rollers were superb,even the handbrake. Still,if I can get discs at a reasonable price,I'll go down that road.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat May 07, 05 4:17 pm

I don't believe this, brakes are back to being as bad as ever,its really spoiling my enjoyment of the car....I have a really bad pull to the right,locks up too.I've put a pair of new cylinders on,and stripped and copaslipped everything,adjusted them up properly,and it still pulls...bad. I swapped the drums over left to right,and it still pulled,but with a huge judder,swapped them back round and the judders gone,but the pull's still there.I've maybe driven the car twice with good brakes.

I'm running out of ideas here..I take it the split system on the brakes isn't a diagonal split?I've changed the fluid and bled it quite a few times,no air,and a good firm pedal.I've clamped up each brake hose,and taken it for a run,and each brake is working fine in isolation.I've slackened off the adjuster on the right front brake,all the way off,and it still pulls to the right.Its driving me mad!

last things I've gotta do.
get the drums skimmed,and fit a pair of front hoses,if this doesn't work I'll go mad!!!
I know drums will always have a little weave,but this is making the car undriveable.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Sat May 07, 05 5:33 pm

Sure it is not the front end geometry?? check the set up and lok for bad joints etc

Guy · Post by **Guy** » Sat May 07, 05 6:41 pm

Have You checked the rears they can cause the car to pull to one side. Or go back to the MOT station and check it out out on the rollers again you may have one brake working to much or one hardly working got to be worth a few quid to check it.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sat May 07, 05 7:36 pm

I had the rear flexi pipe block internally.

Car was fine, took it off the road to do an engine swop and could not bleed the rear brakes. I would always put goodridge on now - it stops lots of balooning as well

latil · Post by **latil** » Sat May 07, 05 10:50 pm

Are the wheel bearings just to loose? L/rover prob that one. Try swapping the leading shoes side to side ,are the linings chamfered as per the manual so's they don't grab? Dust in the drums will cause grabbing especially if the linings are still bedding in.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sun May 08, 05 2:26 pm

Thanks guys,but Ive checked just about everything you have said.Had the car out for a good long run today,started off as usual with a bad pull to the right,then when driving normally the whole front end started shaking like the front wheels were falling off,If you could imagine all 5 wheelnuts on both front wheels being on their last thread,it was that BAD.undriveable.Stopped the car and checked all the wheelnuts,joints and stuff.nothing.started driving agan and it was fine for a mile or so,then did it again.I had brake hose clamp with me so I clamped off the brakes one by one...still the same.so,in a temper I drove with the brakes on quite hard for a bit.Now its perfect again,pulls up straight with hardly a judder???????? I'm lost,shake is more through the steering reallyso I'm starting to think it may not be the brakes.I've checked everything a dozen times,and the car was also MOT'd last week,with no faults found. It really feels like a Sierra with knackered front bushes!!!
I've swapped the drums over,swapped shoes,replaced the cylinders,when brakes are working there is hardly any shudder through the pedal,so I'm kinda ruling out the drums. I could understand if it was a constant problem,but its different every time.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Sun May 08, 05 5:13 pm

Were the drums hot when you stopped? If you have them adjusted up slightly too much they drag slightly and then expand with the heat. Then they start gripping the drum.

Another thing to look for. Brake fluid or any other oil type substance on or in the shoe material. This will cause the brakes to snatch.

Ivor · Post by **Ivor** » Wed May 11, 05 1:35 pm

I've been keeping an eye on this post and keeping my mouth shut as more and more things are being eliminated.

I reckon it could be KPI that's out. Tell me to shut up Tiff, if you've checked this, but as you know the upper suspension arm is adustable, and if someone in the past has overhauled the suspension, they may not have set it up properly.

As you apply the brakes with virtually no KPI the feedback through the steering is going to be amplified as the weight of the car "goes over the zero degrees point" if you get my drift.

Might be worth a quick check down the inner wings and look at the top suspension arm mounts. If the the front nut is all the way in towards the engine and the rear bolt all the way out...that's got to be the problem!

In the words of the Wiseman...I'll get me coat.

Dave-R · Post by **Dave-R** » Wed May 11, 05 2:01 pm

We call it caster angle round here Ivor. Good point though.

Ivor · Post by **Ivor** » Wed May 11, 05 4:58 pm

That's because you're Northern, see.

Down here we really call it "yer sussie's up the swanny mate"

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed May 11, 05 8:19 pm

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Wed May 11, 05 8:35 pm

King Pin Inclination,.

good theory Ivor,I've been through everything else,I've got the drums away getting skimmed at the mo,so I'll check it out tomorrow when I get back to the garage!

Have you any data/diagrams on this Dave?