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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Rear Brake Shoes. Another Moss take?

Now onto assembling the rear brakes and after working out how to put together all the bits on the backplates while they are off the car, I noticed the Moss supplied brake shoes have the linings glued centrally. So there can be no leading and trailing brake shoe. They are both identical. Surely this isn't as MG intended? Do I take them back and complain or just live with it?

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

I think I'd take them back. Leading shoes enhance braking. If the lead is reduced, so too presumably is the braking effect. It must be a mistake.
Lawrence Slater

I was under the (possibly false) impression that it was the pivot design and placement on the backplate that led to the leading/non leading arrangement rather than the position of the shoe material on the shoe itself. I'll have to have more of a think of how the pivots work though.
Rob Armstrong

IIRC leading and trailing shoes are more to do with the relationship of the actuating cylinder and the pivot and drum rotation. In a leading shoe brake the cylinder is in front of the shoe with respect to the drum rotation and when pressurised the shoe is forced into contact with the drum and the friction generates a self servo effect increasing the braking, trailing shoe is the reverse where the drum rotation tends to force the shoe off the drum. From that whether the lining is nearer one end or the other or central may not have much real effect, then also you have the lining characteristics to take into account.
David Billington

:)
Rob Armstrong

Nothing to worry about...

The newer brake shoes dont fully wear out before you run out of adjustment screw.

Most of the time you will still have 1/2 the shoe thickness when you run out of adjustment screw

If you want real rear braking, try the mini cooper drums and shoes, the arcives can give details

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

These aren't pivoting shoes, they're sliding.

So why if the leading edge isn't important, were they always, -- until now it seems -- supplied as leading and trailing shoes, never centrally mounted?
Lawrence Slater

Maybe the writing on the box gives us a clue. "CLASSIC GOLD" "AUTHENTIC REPRODUCTION" "Made in China"

2 out of 3 isn't good enough.

Rob

Rob aka MG Moneypit

Truth in advertising....got to love it

Im not a big fan of imitation leather as I am in genuine plastic nauga hide ...hahaha

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Rob,
I don't know if below is of any use to you, IIRC I picked it up from this site, but just in case here it is -

Nigel Atkins

Thanks Nigel. I did see that drawing as well as a few others. This drawing is interesting as it shows the same as my mechanical service parts book. i.e. the handbrake mechanism shows a kink at the rivet end in the piece that runs between brake shoes, to make room for the spring which is fitted in such a way as to clear the hub. The ones I got from a 1500 are just flat. I suppose by the time they got near the end of production they couldn't be bothered with engineering finesse.

I had the problem of deciding which of the two handed handbrake levers to fit to which side and I'm still not sure it's correct. See image

Positioned this way the shoes seem to sit ok but fouls the spring. Positioned the other way (flat bar closer to cylinder by swapping to the other handbrake lever) it rubs against the dust covers on the cylinder.

Rob





Rob aka MG Moneypit

Rob

I don't believe I've ever seen a kink in the linkage.
Dave O'Neill2

perhaps that drawing is for earlier cars then (?)

IIRC the 1500s had two different handbrake cables(?) but I don't know if there's any difference to the assembly and handbrake mech on the plate for them

I don't know but Dave does
Nigel Atkins

Try this which I dug up yesterday doing the same job

http://www.spridgetguru.com/TA0045.html
Dominic Clancy

I also saw that one and cannot agree that the end of the top spring (called springs "ear") be forced on top of the handbrake operating lever. This is the only reference that has it like this. Every diagram of photograph I have ever seen showing the rear brakes has shown it underneath.

Anyway, I now have another problem for which i will start a new thread.

Rob
Rob aka MG Moneypit

Omg... did you see the next artical for attaching the circlip to the slave cylinder

Now that was amazing... I my make that little tool and give it a try, just for the shear joy of trying it.

Very cool

http://www.spridgetguru.com/TA0105.html

Prop

Prop and the Blackhole Midget

Prop

I bit the bullet and bought one of these tools last year, and although not cheap at about £20 it works really well and makes a rotten job a doddle.
Highly recommended.
It would be quite easy to make one if you have the right machine tools available.
Peter Blockley

Hey peter

The artical shows how to make the tool, but.if you have to buy the parts, it could be more then 20

Its a deep socket, reg socket, clutch spring, and a bolt/nut

Many years ago After many wasted hours I endded up tapping the slave and bolting it onto the back plate....it works

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

This thread was discussed between 01/02/2014 and 02/02/2014

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