Rear brakes: What a joke

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USASPRINTMAN · #1 Post by **USASPRINTMAN** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:03 am

Before tonight, I have never had cause to pull off the brake drums on OMK 172R or my previous Sprint, OUD 777P. However, the pedal was going down a bit too far and the hand-brake wasn't grabbing well enough. So, I took off the drums to have a look. 
 
Anyway, I pulled off the brake drums and I could not believe my eyes. 
 
We use bigger brake shoes on golf carts over here. No wonder the Sprint won't stop well. 
 
Somebody please tell me that there is a way to fit TR6 or TR7 rear brakes/backplates onto the Sprint and keep those stylish factory wheels. 
 
There's must be something that can be done to upgrade the rear brakes. 
The stock ones are ridiculous. 
 
Richard Truett 
Detroit

DailySprinter · #2 Post by **DailySprinter** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 7:34 am

They are more than adequate even for a race car, it's the fronts that are the problem. Braking surface on the rears is huge. 
 
Try servicing and adjusting them properly, they will work A1

USASPRINTMAN · #3 Post by **USASPRINTMAN** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:56 am

Well, I did tighten up the brake cables, and that did make a big difference. 
The cables were so loose that the self-adjusting feature on the rear brakes was not functioning. 
 
The car does now stop much better and the pedal is a good bit firmer. Still, the size of those shoes seems inadequate, and I notice on the box of replacement shoes I bought that they also fit a number of cars with 1.3-liter engines. 
 
So, problem solved -- for now.

algtj · #4 Post by **algtj** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 11:52 am

I was under the impression Sprint rear drums were different (slightly larger) than standard Dolomite's. 
 
I'm sure the brake compensator valve on the Sprint was to 'calm' the overly efficient rear brakes.......? 
 
Alun will have the answer! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/happy.gif ALT=":D">

SprintV8 · #5 Post by **SprintV8** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 1:40 pm

Check to make sure someone hasn't fitted a 1850 rear axle as the rear brake shoes are smaller than a Sprint.

1980 Dolomite SprintV8 (In the process of modifying the Alloy sump) 
2002 Citroen Xsara 2.0 HDi Estate.... Part's delivery Vehicle. 
Alloy Carb Mount's fit and forget or keep changing the RUBBER one's.

Carl · #6 Post by **Carl** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 4:01 pm

I was under the impression that it WAS TR6 anyway. Sprint rear brakes are more than adequate. Are you sure that the balance valve isn't faulty ?

alun n · #7 Post by **alun n** » Sat Sep 23, 2006 8:53 pm

Yep, Sprint drums and shoes are wider, a bit. 
 
They are a cock to set up correctly though; lots of crap design that wears out, bends, stretches etc like adjusters (which are handed; one has a RH thread, one has LH but few folk realise this, get the wrong one in the wrong side and its quite crap) where the teeth wear, operating arms which bend/wear so they can't/won't engage in the teeth of the adjuster, shoes which pull on eccentrically to the drum so they wear unevenly, a wheel cylinder which is designed to slide but invariably won't, cables which apparently stretch beyond the point of adjustment because they rely on a pivot mount on the handbrake arm itself. 
 
Whenever I find myself having to do rear brakes I now rip the whole lot off, clean it up, recondition, repair whatever, and then still have to set it up so the drum just passes over the shoes (which are quite happy to decentralise themselves by a gnats cock width) and then you find you have lipped drums so they are still crap after all that!<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/mad.gif ALT=">:">

USASPRINTMAN · #8 Post by **USASPRINTMAN** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 4:26 am

I have looked under my Sprint. She has the proper rear axle. 
But now I have to pull the drums again and make sure the proper wheel handed cylinders are in place. The way my car was put back together, anything is possible. 
 
And one more thing: I looked in my British English to American English dictionary, the Haynes Manual and the Triumph Manual and could not find the definition of: "gnats cock width." 
 
From what I can tell, it must have something to do with the Metric system, which we are not part of -- yet. 
 
Cheers, 
Richard

algtj · #9 Post by **algtj** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:14 am

"Gnats cock" is a term used first by the Legion Estrangere in French Ghana, thus has a multicultural origin. 
 
The air in the Jungle's of Ghana consists mainly of gnats, flying a tighter formation than the Red Arrows (not hard!) and so you would never be more than a "Gnats cock" away from from being bitten. 
 
"Gnats chuff" or bottom was used to describe the tightness one would have to wear one's boots in order to keep the leeches out. Giving rise to the popular phrase "Tighter than a gnats chuff" 
 
This is of course all lies! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/laugh.gif ALT=":lol">

MalcGE · #10 Post by **MalcGE** » Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:59 am

Sprints are actually overbraked on the rear, hence the load concious valve that reduces the efficiency when the car is 1 up. 
 
Stuff 4 people in and the load valve increases the efficieny of the rear brakes. The rear brakes are 'too big' hence the need to restrict them down. Many have cut out the load valve to find the rears lock up under 'nose dive'. 
 
Many 'load valve removing' Sprint owners have come a 'Gnatts Knacker' away from an off road excursion as a result. 
 
Yeah, those auto adjusters can be a bit of a fiddle

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Rear brakes: What a joke

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