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MG TD TF 1500 - Brake Drum delema

Hey all, I have rebuilt the rear right brake assembly down to painting the back plate and replacing the wheel cylinder. My issue is that the with fully retracted brake shoes and a relaxed hand Brake, I can barley turn the drum.

I measured the thickness of 7 different brake shoes to between .300 and .306 inches. The , (still oily), shoes on the left rear measures .275. Of course, the brake drum spins freely on that side. Now the question.

Are there/were there different thickness' of brake shoes available? If so, from whom?
Thanks, Tom

P.S. I would prefer not to turn the drum.
Thomas McNamara

Tom,
You already have the drums mounted,,, have you tried to apply the brake peddel to "center" the shoes?? I haven't heard of this problem. It seems like they might .ot be seated properly. Where did the shoes come from ?? You can always have them radiused to fit.
Can you see on the new shoes where they are rubbing the drum? Is it all of the shoe surface or just on the ends?

Steve
Steve Wincze

Tom, will the wheel cylinder slide up and down in the slot in the backing plate? Bud
Bud Krueger

Hey Steve, hello! While closing the garage tonight, I felt a "rough" edge on the bottom of the front shoe which I will remove. I failed to mention that this is a YT but the rear brakes are the same as a TC. I can't use the pedal as the system is devoid if fluid.

Hey bud, yes, the shoes slide freely in the slots. On this car the wheel cylinder is bolted in place.

Hey all, can anyone measure the thickness of a new shoe/brake pad and tell me if they are under .300 inch?

Thanks, Tom
Thomas McNamara

Use the handbrake- pull really hard a couple of times- to center the shoes if no fluid, then try it. George
George Butz

Hi Tom,

Why don't you try asking it on the Y-type BBS?
Willem van der Veer

Dear all, first, thanks to George. I tried the hand brake a few times and there is some improvement. I can now rotate the drum by hand even though there is significant brake drag. I am thinking that perhaps the drum in a little bit out of round as the shoes drag only on about 30 percent of the rotation.

Second, item, William I find that this group, being much larger, offers more advice than the smaller "Y" group. They just have more collective experience and the cars are very similar, but not the same.

I mean no disrespect to the "Y" group as they have answered many of my neophyte inquires.

Be well, Tom
Thomas McNamara

One last suggestion: if it is exactly like a TC, put the nuts/washers on and snug the drum down if not done already. If it is not pulled home, it may be off center and that may be the problem. Just went through this with a TC recently BTW. George
George Butz

This thread was discussed between 05/09/2016 and 07/09/2016

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