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MG TD TF 1500 - rear brake assembly

Frustration reigns! I am having a great deal of difficulty remounting the rear brake drums on a TF. It seems the drums do not want to go over the studs on the hub. The drum appears to off center, too low. I have read everything in the archives and am still stumped. I disassembled rear end components including pulling the axles in rebuild and reassembled after cleaning and painting rear end, brake plates, etc. The drums and shoes were in great shape and am reusing what I removed. I did replace the brake cylinder. The axles are in properly, fitting into the rear end axle tubes, brake shoes assembled with springs in proper place, small to the rear, large to the front, both behind the shoes. One shoe with cut out is over the adjuster, the upper shoe mounted with cutout over the abutment at the rear. Adjusters are fully retracted. The brake cylinder is mounted toward the front end, pull lever pointed down. I tap the shoes to get the drums over them but when I push the brake drums up to the studs from the hub they appear to be too low. What am I missing? Do the retainer springs wrap around the catch from the side or go through the hole in the middle then turn to lock in place? It appears as if they go around the lock tab on the back plate from the side. HELP and ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
J Fleshman

For starters I'd make sure you got the back plates on the correct sides.....I happen to know some idiot that didn't and it does make a difference.
LaVerne

Post a picture of your assembly. Maybe someone will see an issue.
Mike
Mike TD/TA

J,
Are your shoes symetrical to the backing plate all around?? By this I mean is the space between the shoes and the edge of the backing plate the same all the way 'round???
As Mike indicated,,,, a picture of what you have would be tremdously helpfull!!!
SPW
STEVE WINCZE

Thanks for your responses. When I took things apart I kept them together, right with right, left with left, etc.


J Fleshman

Looks like the bottom shoe is too far to the left in the picture. The adjuster mask/screw slot should be centered with the long axis of the wheel cylinder. George
George Butz

Based on your picture, I'd say the back plates are on the wrong side. The idiot I was referring to was me when I did the TD. The TF (shown here) was correct. Never realized they were handed. May have been put on wrong previous to you. The spring angles don't look right, even if they were moved over to the openings I used. They are stamped on the back if you look carefully.


LaVerne

LA VERNE,

What is it that makes u think the back plate is on the wrong side of the car? The cylinder goes on the front end side of the plate. Mine is on the front end side of the plate.
J Fleshman

J,
if you look at Laverne's photo you will see that the cylinder is radialy opposite the fixed abutment and yours is displaced. The plates are definitely on the wrong side.Just move them to the other side and turn over the cylinders.Been there, done that.Also managed to do the front(twin trailing shoes are not funny)
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Is the hub on the TF that different than the TD, I thought they were the same. 4 bolts hold the backing plate and system on. ya learn somtin ever day.
Tom Maine (TD8105)

Ray Lee and La Verne,

Took your advice and switched the plates. That was indeed the problem. I thought I had kept all together when I cleaned and painted. The one thing about working on a restoration.........sometimes you feel like Forest Gump. Thanks for your help
J Fleshman

Tom Maine - when the TF has wire wheels, it is different from a TD!
t lange

Ah ha...thanks
Tom Maine (TD8105)

I learned the hard way. Got lucky doing the TF. Did the same thing when it came to the rear springs. I didn't realize the axle perch wasn't centered. Lucked out on the TF . Had to reverse them on the TD.


LaVerne

Hi J,
dont forget the axle nut has to be torqued up to 150lb/foot.
Ray
Ray Lee

Good spot LaVerne and Ray!
George Butz

This thread was discussed between 02/05/2012 and 03/05/2012

MG TD TF 1500 index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG TD TF 1500 BBS is active now.