Forum:
Hi all,
I have a '91 sportrak, which has seen better days, but the engine is sweet as a nut, and I am only using it as an offroad tool anyway (enormous tyres going on this weekend!)problem I have is that the brakes on the old jujitsu are somewhat non existant. I have checked the front pads and they seem fine, but the drums on the back are well and truly schtook! tried allsorts, had em glowing red, beaten with a big hammer, and tried the pre drilled holes (which are a very weird thread) but nothing seems to be shifting the buggers. Any one any ideas before we attack them with the grinder, and I am forced to buy some new ones? I also want to lift it a bit for more clearance, and have heard you can get some longer shackles for the rear, and adjust the front shockers. Anybody know where I can get these shackles from?
Help much appreciated.
John.
Its the handbrake cable.
The drums will not come off unless the handbrake bable is fully released. Any tension in the handbrake cable levers the brake adjusters and the shoes hold against against the drums. Any effort to pull the drum away makes the shoes bite tighter.
Next use a rubber hammer and tap arround the drums - makes the shoes jump away from the drums ... then also wedge behind any ridge on the inside edge of the drum where the shoes have eaten into the drum.
If you have a 3or4jaw puller/extractor then use it. If not then try levering off the drum but take care not to damage the backplate.
If the fails the use penetrating oil. Squirt it at the wheel-nut holes and give it many liberal squirts. Leave overnight ... again use penetrating oil as often as you can. If you have a 3jaw puller, leave it torquing the drum since leaverage helps the penetrating oil to get between the drum and hub. Next morning it should come off the hub.
Failing that use a heat gun on the wheel-nut area to help break the rust. Not too hot ... just enough to expand the drum whilst leaving the hub cool.
NB .... you problem is probably the handbrake cable! When job complete the handbrake cable is tensioned. The rear brakes are now adjusted by ratcheting the hand-brake up-down-up-down-up-down ...... etc. The action adjusts the rear tensioners inside the drum. Handbrake should have 3to4 clicks when rear shoes are adjusted tight.