[DoctorC]

Hi all,
So in my road worthiness inspection here in Frenchland, (among other things) they found that my rear brakes were ummmm, lacking. Like achieving 20% of the min acceptable =/
And the emergency break was non functional. ¯\(ツ)/¯

So I'm digging into the breaks. This car is a daily driver and I avoid unnecessary expenses. But happy to make need ones.

So this is the side that was actually breaking, but the adjuster wasnt adjusting... so I cracked it open. I found that the adjuster assembly (star/screw) doesn't stay because the parking lever is not where it should be (hooked behind the adjustment lever). So I found why the emergency break is non-functional (at least in theory). So, I'll fix that.

My question to you is: How much life do I have left in these shoes? It looks like lots to me. Just need to be adjusted. I bought the kit and caboodle, new spring set and new shoes (like 150 bucks...). But I'd rather replace them when they need it, not just because i can. Daily driver...

I also noticed that the side that doesnt brake, when i spin the wheel after adjusting it, it has an on-off sound. Like it makes contact, then doesnt, then does, then doesnt. Shhhkt.......shhhhkt......shhhhhkt. I guess I'll pull the drum and see what i see...

So, thoughts on remaining life? My shop manual stopped working... what's the spec on thickness?

 

[DoctorC]

Thanks for the comments. Can I fix the adjusting assembly and reposition the e-brake lever without messing with all the top springs?
Tomorrow's task =)

 

[DoctorC]

Ok so I cracked open the "bad" side (was only achieving 700N of braking force, vs 2250+ on the rest). I see that the emergency brake lever is also misplaced here. Hopefully not a symptom of a larger problem. I do see that the pads are very unevenly worn. Lots off the top, bottom mostly intact. I also found that there is a lip on the rear pad, indicating that it is either improperly seated or not straight. I think I'll replace these shoes. Luckily both cylinders look good. No weeping.

The inside of the drum is pitted, but looks ok. This is the side that was making weird noises =)

If I replace one side's shoes, must I do the other?
My current stock is: 2 x spring kit, 1 x cylinder, 1 set shoes, 1 drum.
Any thoughts on what all to replace?

 

[DoctorC]

Thanks for the tips. I'll replace the springs and shoes then, on both sides. I'll clean up the adjusters and add some high temp grease to the threads. We'll see how the situation of the emergency break cable is when i take them apart. Fingers crossed that they're just incorrectly assembled and not broken. It'll be expensive and take forever to get a replacement cable...