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Author Topic: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster  (Read 1673 times)

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Enceladus

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Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« on: 11 September 2019, 22:11:51 »

Can anybody confirm which direction the turnbuckle adjuster for the handbrake shoes needs to turn to push the shoes onto the drums? TE. the star adjuster accessed via the hole in the disc and hub. Upwards or downwards?

I've replaced the rear discs but I can't seem to get the offside shoes to bind. The nearside seems OK. Both the wheels are off the ground and the gearbox is in neutral.
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Nick W

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Re: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« Reply #1 on: 11 September 2019, 22:19:13 »

It depends which way the adjuster was last installed, so we can't tell you without trying your car.
It's much easier if you use a narrow screwdriver, and shine a torch through the hole so you can see if you're on the adjuster wheel. It might take a full turn(several flicks of the wheel) before there is any noticeable effect.


They might be different side to side too.


I use a sharp scriber to mark on the hub which way each one goes.

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tunnie

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Re: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« Reply #2 on: 11 September 2019, 22:28:49 »

A bit of practice and you can flick the adjuster, you can soon see which way it goes.
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terry paget

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Re: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« Reply #3 on: 12 September 2019, 09:27:52 »

In a darkened garage, wih a torch strapped to my forehead, I turn the brake drum until I can see the adjuster wheel, and observe which side of it I see the screw. Then knowing it is a right hand thread I know which way to turn it.
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Tick Tock

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Re: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« Reply #4 on: 12 September 2019, 10:47:54 »

In a darkened garage, wih a torch strapped to my forehead, I turn the brake drum until I can see the adjuster wheel, and observe which side of it I see the screw. Then knowing it is a right hand thread I know which way to turn it.

Spot on! It's not as easy doing it on the driveway when the sun is shining down on the brake drum, so in the shade or inside is better.
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Enceladus

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Re: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« Reply #5 on: 12 September 2019, 20:39:52 »

Thanks for all the responses.
The problem with this job is frequency. We've done it several times on Carltons, Senators and Omegas. But the rear brake discs and the handbrake shoes last for years before they need replacing. So years pass before a repeat event and all the lessons learnt are forgotten.

We'd already suffered a delay staring the job and then got further delayed in getting the locking wheel bolts off.

The teeth on the adjuster cog are tight up against the spring, which also serves to prevent the cog moving due to vibration. When it's late and you can't see it properly it's all to easy to believe you're turning the cog when in reality it just snapping back to where you started from. Especially so when turning the adjuster wheel up and away from you, turning the adjuster down and towards you is easier and more positive.

We ended up pulling off the new disc, now easy to see the adjuster wheel and what it's doing. Then set the adjuster cog so that the drum of the disc just clears the shoes. Re-fit disc and back off adjuster cog. Much quicker.

A simple task of replacing the disc and pads became a saga. Incidentally the discs, pads and shoes are all GM parts and may well be original to the car. The discs are stamped 240203, a date-code I suggest.
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terry paget

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Re: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« Reply #6 on: 12 September 2019, 21:50:42 »

You didn't mention it, but I have found that a rim of rust can build up on the inside of the drum where the brake linings do not rub, and can obstruct disc/drum removal. To facilitate removal, I always begin by fully backing off the adjuster.
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2011venator

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Re: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« Reply #7 on: 13 September 2019, 16:37:13 »

Did mine yesterday they were not touching at all and the drums came off so easy which has not been my experience of other makes so a point for the Omega.
As someone has already said once the drum is off you can easily see the end of the turnbuckle moving in and out but from memory it was down to pull the shoes together and up to push them outwards for more brake contact. I managed to push the spring down which rests against it and turn it with my fat little fingers so not to fiddly or tight.
This was the drivers side still got to do the passenger so I might eat my words yet!! :D
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Doctor Gollum

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Re: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« Reply #8 on: 13 September 2019, 17:11:59 »

Which way it requires turning depends entirely on whovere fitted the adjuster and which way the wind was blowing...

In other words, to have both sides turn the same way is as likely as them being opposite ;)
« Last Edit: 13 September 2019, 17:13:37 by Doctor Gollum »
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Enceladus

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Re: Hand=brake shoe turnbuckle adjuster
« Reply #9 on: 13 September 2019, 18:58:15 »

I've only ever put the adjusters back the way I found them, so I'd forgotten they could be fitted the other way round. And also I'd already concluded the shoes, adjusters and disc were factory fit, from the other side.
If you look carefully at the adjuster and the spring underneath, with the disc off, you can easily understand why turning up and away is harder and less reliable then turning downwards. Why the spring is ls helping and not impeding the turn.

And yes I have experienced Terry's problem of the shoes jamming on the rusty lip on the inner edge of the disc.
Also the disc centre can lock itself to the boss.
Trusty lamp hammer required and new discs to hand.
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