Spitfire 1500 rear brakes

[dusz]

Hi
My son has a 1500 Spitfire. When I was driving it round Spa at the end of May it made a slight clunking noise from the rear when braking and then started to pull guide strongly to the left if I really hauled on the brakes.

Tonight I have removed the nearside rear drum. There is no brake fluid contamination on the shoes but they do look to be near their wear limit. Not being used to Triumph rear brakes I was surprised to see in the Haynes manual that the slave cylinder is a single piston and that it slides relative to the back plate and is held in place by a retaining plate and a spring plate. All other cars I have worked on have had a fixed slave cylinder with two pistons.

Looking at the back plate neither of these plates are present. Could this be the cause of the slight clunk and brake lock up?

We will be replacing the brake shoes anyway but does anyone know if the retaining plates and spring plates are available separately without having to purchase a slave cylinder?

Thanks for any advice.

[Clive]

Should be easily available from the usual suspects, but often questionable quality. Best bet is to nab some used ones if  you can. I don't think I have any, but will check when I get the chance. Parts 120138 and 519758

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-GRID005769

(not suggesting you should buy from rimmers, just they have nice pics!)

or right at the top and bottom of this

http://www.jamespaddock.co.uk/parts.aspx?categoryID=22&vehicleId=2

[ODIN]

If the U plate and the U clip are missing( Referring to 120138 and 519758 in the Rimmers link supplied by Clive) I would think the wheel cylinder would  move about a fair bit and vibrate under  braking.Definitely replace them!
These clips are supposed to hold the cylinder but allow it to slide in the back plate.
My dad's Anglia 105e had similar set up.They used to rust/stick/seize up The indication of them seizing in the back plate  was when the handbrake wouldn't hold car on hill. This happened  fairly  frequently.
As a teenager it was one of my pocket money little earners to dismantle them and free them off!

[dusz]

Many thanks for the replies. Good to know that they are available without having to buy a slave cylinder.

Should the plate and spring be lubricated with copper grease or something else?

[ODIN]

Copper Ease or similar OK I tried "white grease" on the basis that it was water ingress that had caused the problem and such calcium based greases are  supposed to be water  resistant (ok for wheel bearings on boat launchers). The back plate doesn't get that hot  I would think - and you only need a tiny bit.
The rubber "ear" covers are probably helpful as splash protectors.
Its more a case of being aware of the problem and its causation and freeing them off , de-rusting them and lubricating them a bit when the need arises.I recall them being often  seized solid and needing a lot of " persuasion"  even to get them to move at all.

Drum brakes can be a test  of ones patience -fiddly with  their weird  springs and those odd hold down things that have bits that go " ping" and disappear into the undergrowth.Modern disc set ups are a doddle.

[heraldcoupe]

The clips are available, but as already alluded to, quality is highly variable. When you get some, check that they're not too thick, or too thin. Also check the dimples on one of the clips which locate in holes on the other clip, locking them together. Some are made with very shallow dimples which simply don't engage positively, causing the clips to drop out as the cylinder slides...

While you're at it, also check that the handbrake pivot is free to move. This engages in a slot in the slave cylinder body. There are plenty of aftermarket cylinders where the slot is too shallow, so when the clips are fitted, the whole lot is held tight against the backplate and won't slide easily. If it's been fitted like this, it's another potential cause for having lost the clips, ie the cylinder has moved under force while the clip didn't. A few operations like this and the whole assembly can release,

Cheers,
Bill.

[bob dunn]

Put it all in the bin and buy it all new from Canleys . Brakes are not to be skimped on . My life is worth more than a few quid and I hope yours is too.

[WIMPUS]

I would say (like other said) to be careful with the fitting kit.
I had a new one to install and it didn't hold them very well, installed the old clips.

The same i had with the hold down kit for the shoes..
The springs where very weak !, again re-used the old ones.

Since then when i see old springs & clips i get them