26/05/09 Replacing Rear Shoes & Cylinders

My friend used the brake pads we had previously removed to order the correct parts for the camper, meanwhile we decided to move onto the back brakes until the parts for the front came through.

So we jacked up the camper and took off the left wheel and drum. On taking the drum off it was evident that the camper had stood idle for some years. The shoes and cylinder were engulfed in an intricate mass of spiders webs while both the shoes and cylinder were deeply pitted from rust.


After removing the drum

First we took off the operating spring, this can be seen as the long vertical spring in the picture above, using pliers to carefully unhook it. The next things removed were the brake shoe steady spring cups, one of the cups can be seen in the picture above as the sliver semicircle. To remove, we used pliers to turn the cups at the front while holding the steady spring pins at the rear of the back plate with our finger.

Next, by using a screwdriver, we turned the adjuster wheel to loosen and remove the self-adjuster push rod. This meant that we then just needed to remove the return springs and lift out the shoes.


Turning the adjuster wheel with a screwdriver (this is on the right hand side of the camper)

The last bit to be removed was the wheel cylinder. First, to prevent loss of brake fluid, the hydraulic brake hose was clamped. Next, the bleed screw and bolt holding the cylinder in place were removed so that the cylinder could be released.


Brakes with removed shoes

We refitted the new cylinder, by attaching the bleed screw to it, then the bolt and then the hydraulic brake hose. Next we refitted both of the new shoes, attaching the return springs and the old self-adjuster push rod. Now came the hard bit. It is relatively easy to take the steady spring cups off but a nightmare to put them on. Luckily enough for my friend he had to go off, thereby leaving Dad and I to struggle with getting the cups on ourselves!

What an ordeal! I tried holding the pins at the rear of the back plate with my fingers while my dad tried turning the cups, which were sitting on the springs, with pliers at the front. This, sadly, was not a success. We then swapped roles but again failed to make any headway. We made several attempts and eventually gave up! Well I did! Dad was determined. He rang his brother to ask for suggestions and Voila! he managed it, on his own! Do not ask me how, I believe it must have been the luck of the Irish no other explanation for it.

So we had changed the rear brake shoes and cylinder on the left wheel. One down only the right wheel left to go before returning to tackle the front brakes!