self adjusting rear drum brakes

[nutstrangler]

Hi,everyone.i'm on my 3rd Cav,love them, with the possible exception of the rear drum brakes self adjust mechanism.
It seems never to have worked properly if at all! Making it neccessary to remove the rear wheels all to frequently to
adjust them manually.the adjusters turn easily and are always kept lubricated.Could any one advice? any help would
be apreciated.

[branny361]

quite common having to do it manually .. suppose a clean may help.


Puts a new slant on the term "self adjusting"

[Envoy CDX]

Just upgraded to rear discs, much better handbrake response and better braking in general. Might be worth doing it yourself?

[nutstrangler]

Hi all,ref,converting to rear discs, on a 92 mk3 Cavalier,could anyone advice which donor car would be suitable,
& are brake pipes a problem ? Thanks, Nutstrangler.

[Gaz]

ive got a set of cav rear disk setup in the garage, they are a bit rough but they are complete. id use them for parts as they have been sat for a while but they come complete so should be ideal if your gonna put new disks and pads on, if you local enough you can have them cheap

[himselfunknown]

Hi all,ref,converting to rear discs, on a 92 mk3 Cavalier,could anyone advice which donor car would be suitable,
& are brake pipes a problem ? Thanks, Nutstrangler.

Does your Cav have ABS? If so, you need to ensure that the donor car has the same hubs (ie ABS sensor connector). If it doesn't have ABS, you have much more choice! Basically any Vectra/Cav/Astra/Vx with rear disks except for the newer models should fit. You may need to change the handbrake cable, and you will need the brake lines altering too, as they are longer iirc. You can get new ones made up at a garage for a few quid though. Or find a Cav donor and use the rear pipes off that. Up to the rear beam the brake lines are the same (while you're there it's worth changing the flexi hoses too, for a fiver a side). Some people reckon that if you can find a Cav donor, it's quicker and easier to change the whole rear beam. Personally I'd just change the hubs, and strip them down, give them a good cleaning and rebuild before fitting.
Something worth checking is the brake bias. You may need to swap this from the donor car too otherwise the bias to the rear will be too high for the disc brakes and you'll find the back brakes locking up under heavy braking.

It's an easy enough job though, it will take you a day thereabouts.

[Squig]

popped this in the correct forum

[nutstrangler]

To, the guy in Manchester who offered rear discs,e.t.c.thanks a lot, however, i'm in the
West Midlands,regards,Nutstrangler.