Ian Barrett Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Guys, I took a neighbours X reg truck cab out for a spin today while looking for an engine oil leak, and on the way back I had to abort my left turn into his (very wide) drive and nearly ended up through his fence and into his garden. The brakes he tells me have just been overhauled at a cost of £400 so I wonder if they are all like this or if his back street garage has done something silly. there is a very firm pedal, but it seems to do hardly anything then until the rear brakes lock. Its only 5 years older than my 90 but it feels very agricultural in comparison. Are the brakes really in a series really supposed to be as unforgiving as this or is there something I can quickly check? Oh and please don't have me looking for hours, its pigging freezing and his heater doesn't work either. . or his speedo . or his dash lights . or his screen washers bloody cheapskate farmers [rolls eyes] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Thats very very wrong...my SIII has 11" TLS fronts and 10" SLS rears, she will stop incredibly quickly! Sounds as though there is a blockage to the front, or a squashed pipe maybe? What size brakes does it have, at '84 it should have the same setup as me as mine is an '83 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secondjeremy Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 or cheap front linings that are a different radius to the drum and only touch at the ends . . . Assembly problem? Non- working servo wouldn't help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Barrett Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 Thanks for the info guys, I couldn't believe brakes could be that bad so its good to know LR really didn't produce something this rubbish. I'll check out the size of the brakes and if the servo is working and get back to you. excuse my ignorance but what does TLS and SLS mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Usually locking up/grabbing is when someone's fitted the shoes the wrong way round (very easily done) or there's oil leaking on them from a hub (oil makes them grab, strange but true!). TLS = Twin Leading Shoe SLS = Single ^ ^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 On the front axle you should see a brake pipe connecting wheel cylinders top and bottom of the backplate, check these are a) fitted and b) not squashed. Not quite sure how a non-functioning servo would show this symptom, but happy to learn. My understanding was that a servo just made it easier, but never having driven without one - the first time is immenient! I'm trying to decide whether really really bad adjustment would do this but I don't thing it would, not if you're getting a firm pedal. One thing I can say for sure, he should be taking it back to the garage and getting it fixed for free, especially at a cost of £400 for brakes that most deffinatly are not working properly! If they won't fix it to a satisfactory standard, then its trading standards and another garage to say what they've done wrong! That sounds very dangerous and shouldnt be on the road! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Twin-leading shoe setup should look something like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Barrett Posted December 13, 2011 Author Share Posted December 13, 2011 FridgeFreezer, ejparrott and Retroanaconda thank you very much. I now understand a TLS setup and although it doesn't look particularly complicated I can see how someone not familiar with it - such as maybe the guy at the tyre shop who did the £400 refurb - might have easily got something wrong. I'll check all this looks correct tomorrow and report back on what I find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 they shouldnt be that bad at all except maybe if its non servod. or if the servo has failed. simple way to find out. pull the servo pipe off the servo and see if it sgets worse, if it does the servo works if theres no change the servo needs replacing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted December 13, 2011 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I'll check all this looks correct tomorrow and report back on what I find. I really am looking forward to finding the cause of this one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Barrett Posted May 14, 2012 Author Share Posted May 14, 2012 UPDATE: We finally got the truck on axle stands this weekend and pulled the brakes apart. We found: New brake shoes all round New cylinders here and there. OSF brake was working perfectly NSF had the bottom cylinder seized although it was fairly new - because of a split rubber. OSR was full of axle grease so a failed hub seal is diagnosed. NSR was working perfectly. So the car was braking with OSF and NSR only. No wonder is was locking and squirreling about. New bits on order and I'll update you on the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discomikey Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 good news then (ish) my brakes are all a bit shoddy after the punch hunt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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