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MG MGA - help with shoes

good morning, and help! please,I'm in the prosess of replacing a weeping oil seal on the back axle that I came across just before the MGA day at charlcote,at that time I put the hub back together having roughly hatched the shoe,sorry if this is a bit long winded but, I have taken the hub apart this morning to find that the shoes are only making contact across a small band near the outer edge which is a bit of a concern considering that everything seems to be in place and there's lots of meat on the shoes,(although they do seem to be adjusted up quite a way).
I have taken a snap which I will try to upload but my history on that score is not that good either, I hope that someone may be able to help, cheers Vin.


Vin Rafter

Vin. The shoes are not firmly fixed so will move and bear flush on the drum under operation. I am not sure why you have only wear on one side but would suggest that the shoes are perhaps touching the drum at that point under normal driving?
I suppose that if the shoes where incorrectly fitted then they may be touching somewhere and forcing the shoe not to sit correctly. Give them a rock back and forth, there should be a little movement possible (although watch not to pull them off as the springs will go AWOL!!).

Neil
Neil Purves

I am no expert, but if brakes do work why not try taking the car for a run (very carefully) on quiet road using brakes only when necessary and see if the drum gets hot. If so, then that would mean they are rubbing all the time and not just when brakes applied, as Neil suggests. May help diagnosis
GrahamMV

Hi Vin, it's always so difficult to diagnose faults over the internet, but here's a couple of things to check. Make sure that the brake cylinder is free to "float". It should be possible to move the cylinder forwards and backwards (or clockwise and anti-clockwise as the wheel would travel if you get what I mean!) on the back plate, if it can't, the brake shoes won't centralise on the drum properly and only one shoe will touch the drum when you brake. Check that the brake piston is free in its cylinder. Check by pushing it in or turning it with the brake shoe levered away from it; they are famous for seizing up. Are your springs correctly attached to the shoes and the steady springs (the little conical ones on the face of the shoe) present and correct.
Regards, Lindsay.
Lindsay Sampford

Are the shoes new and still bedding in?
Malcolm Asquith

Vin, What do you mean by "having roughly hatched the shoe"? Why would you do that?

The photo is not that clear.

Barry
BM Gannon

Thank you for your comments, BM by roughly hatched I mean scored or scrathed and to be quite honest I'm not sure why I did it, I think I was looking for contamination (weeping oil sael) but it went on to show the ware pattern when I again striped them.
To answer other quiries I can say that the cylinder seems to move freely and has not got a sticky piston and all the springs would seem to be in there proper place.
Ay the moment I'm im the process of changing the oil seal so while I'm at it I'll replace the bearing,break cylinder and shoes and see where I'm at then, altough I'm always open to advice (god knows I need all the help I can get).
cheers Vin.
Vin Rafter

sorry about the spelling
Vin Rafter

This thread was discussed between 12/08/2009 and 13/08/2009

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