Front brake adjustment?

[Timothy Keith-Lucas]

The front brakes on my 1962 Series 2 have started dragging, which is strange in itself, but try as I may I cannot find a way to adjust the shoes so that they don't touch the drums at rest. There is a small bolt that exits to the back of the brake about midway along the shoe, but turning it does not seem to solve the problem. Could someone who knows more about these brakes than I do let me in on the secret? Or, is the problem within the hydraulics such that I need to lightly bleed them?

[wdb]

I suppose it's possible to have a completely full master cylinder reservoir and thereby keep pressure in the system such that it would push the wheel cylinder pistons outward, but it's doubtful. Easy fix as well, just lower the level. A twist of the bleeder screw should produce a squirt of fluid if there is pressure in the system also. Absent anything like that, the return springs will press the pistons back into the cylinders when the pedal is released.

 

I have worked on a ton of drum brakes over the years. I do not see an adjustment mechanism in that picture. I can imagine a cam of some sort behind the shoes, with a screw head stick out of the backing plate to allow adjustment, but I don't see anything like that in the picture.

[11Budlite]

There should be two adjuster cams accessible on the back plate at the two locations circled in yellow. If these are backed all the way off, then perhaps the two return springs have lost there tension and can no longer keep the brake shoes from dragging on the drums. Those shoes seem to have a lot of material on them, are they new? 

[Timothy Keith-Lucas]

Hmmm. Those are the screws that I tried to use to adjust them, but your "backed all the way off" suggests that they are not 1/2 turn cams  but expanding bolts. I'll try, as you say, backing them all the way off. The master cylinder reservoir is not over filled.  My guess on the condition of the shoes is that they were replaced when she was brought out of 56 years of storage and sold to me. Thank you. I've got another avenue to explore. 

[IamScotticus]

Back plate photo please...

All adjustments will be there if any.

Normally an adjuster will be on the place of one of those cylinders. But fronts have different requirements than rears.

Edited 22 hours ago by IamScotticus

[pethier]

I seem to racall that the British cars I had with drum brakes that I needed a square socket to properly adjust them.  Bought a special little rachet wrench.  Have not used it in years.

[7Westfield]

the square bolt adjuster was on, among others, MGB rear drums

also, early sprites (front) used a snail type adjuster between the piston and end of shoe

I've never seen the type pictured here---any idea where they were borrowed?

[11Budlite]

According to the Tony Weale book, they were 8" drums from a Triumph Herald. This should show details of the assy, parts #2,3,4: https://canleyclassics.com/?catalogue=triumph-herald-1200&diagram=triumph-herald-1200-brakes

 

Edited 4 hours ago by 11Budlite