Rear Wheel cylinder replacement

[white90]

You won't necessarily notice that the rear brakes are faulty - Older Land Rover brakes tend to be ignored unfortunately

Signs of a leaking wheel cylinder-brake fluid weeping out of the gap between the backplate and brake drum lip.

Slacken the wheel nuts, raise and support the vehicle, then remove the wheel.

The brake drum is held to the hub by one or more screws and you may need an impact driver to remove them.

On the back of the brake backplate - release the snail adjusters (there may be two - depending on what vehicle you have).

Remove the brake drum - it may be stuck in place, so lever between the back-plate and drum lip to free it from the hub.

The leaking fluid has contaminated the brake shoes, which will have to be replaced. There's a seperate thread on how to do this.

The drum is also contaminted and it all must be cleaned off very carefully.

Undo the two 3/8" head bolts and remove the shoe retainer.

Unhook the bottom of the shoes from the pivot point - note that the spring is on the outside, which is wrong. The rearmost shoe will come free straight away as soon as the spring is detached. Pull the top of the forward shoe out of the wheel cylinder and remove the spring from the pillar on the backplate and remove it.

The wheel cylinder is held to the brake backplate by 2 x 1/2" nuts.

First disconnect the brake pipe (11mm or 7/16" spanner) This may be siezed, so take care not to damage the pipe. Plenty of WD40 and care usually undoes it. This vehicle has goodridge hoses, so they can't be clamped. I have a blocked pipe fitting that prevents fluid loss.

Undo the two nuts and remove the cylinder - you may have to apply leverage to it.

Compare the old cylinder to the new - they are handed.

Turn the pistons so that both slots are like this - vertical.

Also remove the blanking plug from the rear.

Locate the new cylinder, attach the brake pipe first - taking care that you don't strip the thread. Replace the nuts and tighten them, then tighten the brake pipe. You can at this point bleed the brakes using the clinder to do it. Open the bleed nipple (11mm spanner), squeezed the pistons inthe the cylinder, close the bleed nipple, wait for the pistons to expand outwards, open the bleed nipple, squeeze the pistons back in again, close the bleed nipple, etc, etc. After a few goes, clear liquid will squirt out and the brakes will then be bled.

Replace the brake shoes - making sure the springs are located correctly.

Replace the brake drum, turn the snail adjuster until it starts to rub on the drum, then slacken it until the drum turns freely.

Replace the wheel and lower the vehicle back to the ground.

Check and top up the brake master cylinder if necessary. Also check brake pedal travel.

If you are not happy with the way the brakes are bled in this thread, then use the more familiar method.