ThreePointFive

The drum brakes... I may have sorted it but it's a lot cheaper to take the car.

No longer about the dust hazards but I might get a reprimand for starting two threads about brakes in a week... I have taken off the shoes on both sides and the shoes to the rear side of the car are both worn through to metal, while the front ones are much less worn. I've fitted new shoes but now the drums won't fit over them, the pistons on the wheel cylinders are in as far as they will go and I can't see any other form of adjustment to make on it... Under the seals of the cylinders some fluid was present, does this mean they are now beyond use? Any help appreciated as the car is unusable if I can't get this sorted.

Is the access suitable for normal cars? I may be forced to take my Peuget as the 90 is on axle stands.

Yeah the hi-lift wasn't my prefered option... I don't like using it. Axle stands it is, I don't have anything twine wise strong enough to compress the spring safely.

I'm doing the rear springs on my car, I only have a bottle jack, axle stands and a hi-lift, I was planning on doing the job one side at a time rather than both. I want to support the chassis with the hi-lift on my rocksliders, and use the bottle jack to lower the axle onto the axle stand at its lowest setting. I think that will give me enough travel with the shock removed. Is there any saftey issue doing it this way or does it have to be done with both sides at the same time?

It's not worth a new topic so I'll ask here: One of the bolts on the bottom of the shoes holding the round plate on is either rounded out or stuck. What size are they? A 10mm spanner seems too big and 9mm is far too small. It may bwe that mine have just been abused by the last person to fit the brake shoes.

I always check with my local LR dealer parts guy on prices before I buy the 3rd party stuff. Sometimes it's only a few quid more and well worth paying more for. However they do use the same suppliers for some parts so you can end up paying more.

I'm looking for an alternative to Paddocks, the quality of some of the stuff they send is pretty poor, and they send the bare minimum of what you order. In particular I don't like the way if you buy brake pads, that's all you'll get. You'll need pad retaining pins and anti-rattle springs but they'll never supply any, and you have no right to argue because as the ad says: brake pads. No mention of any other small bits you'll definetly need...hard to think of examples but sending things without nuts and bolts because the car has the old ones, which are almost definetly rusty beyond use and probably shear as you're taking them off to fit the new part, isn't really on. I think the problem is you can't tell who supplies which parts, I would use other sites but paddocks is usually £10+ cheaper, and if I'm buying the same part I can't afford to pay more just to make a point, I can't throw away money. If sites displayed who was supplying the part, I could see that it's not another britpart part. Then I would pay more! Problem is too many sites trying to make a bigger mark up on the same parts. My point is, it's good to know who not to deal with and it seems like Craddocks is not the alternative I'm looking for! Thanks for sharing your experience letsgetdirty.

There are two brackets that bolt to the lashing point eyes, the seller must have had them or they wouldn't have been able to fit it. Have you tried asking them?

Yeah it's on the to do list!

Hi all, I'm changing the rear shoes on my drum brakes as they are down to metal after being checked not so long ago (mud is suggested as likely cause). I've been reading the Haynes on doing it, and it makes a big fuss about asbestos hazard in the brake dust. How likely is it? I used to work at a Garage and not once did I see a technician use a dust mask when changing brakes. I would like to know how safe the job is or if there really is a hazard. Also, when do you know the drum of the brake is mullered? Mine has been thoroughly scored by the pads and is now shiney, does this mean it's time for some new ones? Cheers for any help.

It's britpart so I think it'll be dead before next week.

I've already got one on order, but having seen the above prototype I wish I'd waited now...

Interesting to see the advice on Viscous fans, this confirms my decision to keep with the viscous as the replacement for the failed unit. If this isn't as effective as I am hoping, I plan on fitting an electric fan to the front of the radiator. No immediate plans for a winch mean plenty of space, but would this effect flow of air through the radiator adversely, or would the fan make up for this if there is any effect?

My guard is a U channel that fits on the other side of the axle. It's a bit like Lansalot's but mounts differently. The bolts on the radius arms aren't the problem, it's all bolted together and drivable now, the only problem is making the guard fit. Some help from James tomorow should sort it!

The bolts are too big for the diff nose. I lifted the radius arm and it made it worse, lowered the vehicle and the bolt just slid right in. At least it's drivable now, but I still don't know what to do about the guard. How can you push a bush further into the radius arm? I was tempted to try to bend the guard's arm so it was able to clear the circular plate that's stopping it being in line, but I think that will only weaken the guard as well as being a bodge.

I've tried hitting various bits with the hammer and nothing is happening, I still can't get the guard to move over, so I started putting the bolts back together so it was at least drivable, but now the misalignment on the bracket and polybush is stopping it from being able to be put back in at all. I think getting a hammer onto it would help, but because the bolt is so long, there is no room between it and the diff. Basically I'm a bit buggered!

Cheers James, I might need a bit of help. So far I've taken both the bolts off and tried to fit the guard. The problem is, the guard seems wider than the brackets holding the bushes in place, but oddly enough only on one side and it's not the side that I know has bent brackets. I don't think this has pushed the guard over either, as the diff mounting bracket is lined up with the bolt holes on the diff itself. It is only out by 2 or 3 mm at most, but it's enough to stop me from being able to fit it. Also, the bent bracket is because the polybushes aren't fitting tight into the radius arm, I got it fitted at a lr specialist so I guess they couldn't do any better than they did. This means that the bolt going in to the bracket is really tight as the holes on the bracket and that of the polybush don't line up exactly. I've tried to show it in the pictures but it might not be clear. What are these for? They're the wrong size to go anywhere I can think of.

Unfortunately it does indeed need to come all the way out, the guard's holes are closed so it's the only way. To be fair I haven't yet tried to hit it with a hamer, only pulling quite hard, I wanted to make sure upon pulling it out nothing was going to fall apart first. I know the two bolts on each radius arm holds the axle to the car but I didn't know what happens when only one is removed though. I'll keep to the PFT method then, last thing I want is it coming VFL on the motorway.

Sam Yeah I'm going to give it more of a go tomorow, been talking it over with Mr. Neale and I think I've got an idea of what I'm doing. I don't think it can be rusty as the bushes were changed quite recently, but it is possible as the bolts were not replaced. I'll just have to give it a go and see. Thanks for the advice, it may come in very handy, but I hope you're wrong about the cutting disc - I don't have one!

I finally got a 24mm spanner and socket, started to undo the radius arm bolt that needs to be removed to fit the guard, but when I took the nut off, the bolt would not move through the bush and come free. I am guessing the vehicle has a lot of weight on it? How do you remove the bolts, will the vehicle move at all with just the rear (of the front two, not the chasis bolt) bolt removed? Anything I should be aware of? What torque setting does the bolt need to be done up to when reassembling?

That would work out well, I could see what the machos are like, but are you sure you can tolerate the racket they make? I am definetly up for that though. I am also trying to avoid wearing out the STs as I'm trying to sell them, I don't know how much they wear on road though.

Hmm we'll see then! If the weather is not too bad there's no way I'm going on the Special Tracks over ATs!

Ah ok, thought it was worth asking.

Would it be viable to arrange one if there's enough interest, like a DRD? What about the 21st, are there any shows or events on then?