New Rear Brakes - Binding

[Anthony]

I've replaced everything on my rear brake system with the acceptation of the drums.

 

It was very difficult to get the drums over the new shoes, and now they're on the brakes are binding and will not move one bit.

 

The adjusters are unscrewed fully, and the handbrake is disconnected.

Everything appears to be fitted correctly, including leading and trailing shoes.

 

Any ideas what I should check, or do, to resolve the issue?

My friend suggested grinding the notches on the brake adjuster as this would allow the bottom of the shoes to move closer together (and hopefully allow the required clearance

 

Thanks

[RobPearce]

New shoes are as tight to the drum as you'll ever get but they shouldn't bind. When they do, it's normally because something isn't lined up quite right. Getting the shoes in backwards can do it but you say you've checked that. It's possible to not rest them correctly on the adjuster or the cylinder. It's also possible to fit the cylinder badly so that it can't self-centre. The adjuster wedges could be wonky, or the "fully wound out" adjuster screw might not have been wound back in the up to 1/8 turn to put the wedges on the flat.

[glang]

I think theres also a thread on here about after market brake shoes not fitting correctly and needing a bit of fettling so worth having a search (if that works at all that is....)

[Dannyb]

Check the slave cylinders. You will probably find as I did they are slightly longer than the ones you took off. The way round this is to grind a bit off the edge of the shoes where they sit on the slave cylinder.

[ODIN]

If something does not fit then 99 times out of 100 when I am doing a job ,have fitted it wrong.

You are probably much more competent 

but for me, the process would  be:

Step 1Pull  the drums off  again and dismantle everything.

Step 2.  Compare the new bits with the parts  you have taken off. 

Are they the same?-

If they aren’t then ..get the right ones.Never accept  brake parts that don’t fit right.

- You really should not need to have to start grinding anything  to make things fit !- especially brake adjusters.

 

If the parts are right then ,logically , your assembly  must be wrong.

step 3 Have a good look at the bits and search for diagrams  in manual and photos  on line etc  to  to check  everything is  orientated the right way 

Step 4 Reassemble ,but first take some  time to ensure that the adjusters are really fully cleaned up and copper geased  to move freely.On an “empty” backplate they should turn easily over the full threaded range  with just  two fingers  on a short spanner.