'82 Coupe drum brakes

[Huw Powell]

> I have a problem with the rear drum brakes on an '82 coupe.  Just replaced  
> worn pads and leaking wheel cylinders.

At least they are cheap and easy to work on...

> The problem is they over-adjust almost immediately to the point of not  
> releasing, dragging and overheating. Both sides.
> It appears the adjusting mechanism is a spring loaded wedge the is  
> supposed to go down an amount to take up travel as the shoes wear.  On  
> this one the wedge will drop so much the shoes can't retract. I don't see  
> what should keep the wedge from going to far all at once.

The shoes hitting the drums, basically.  Also, the wedge doesn;t move 
that easily once everything is together.  Anyway, IIRC, the wedge is 
pulled by a light spring, right?  Downwards between two heavy pieces of 
metal?  Could your spreader bar be rusty and not sliding properly, or 
the returns springs be getting weak?

> I'm old enough to have owned cars with drum brakes, even Audi's, and old  
> enough to need to take apart only one side at a time so I can "stare and  
> compare" on reassembly. I have a Bently also and pretty sure it is back  
> together corectly.

I might have a picture...

http://www.humanspeakers.com/cgi-bin/audi_img.pl?image=images/rearaxl1.jpg 
(not useful)

http://www.humanspeakers.com/cgi-bin/audi_img.pl?image=images/brake-rear1.jpg 
(maybe useful)

> In order to keep driving the car I removed the adjuster wedges, but this  
> can't last forever.

I never had trouble when I rebuilt mine, but I did all the parts - new 
springs & hardware and drums as well.  I might just have been lucky, too.

-- 
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi

http://www.humanthoughts.org/