What tool do people use to turn the square adjustment bolts on the back of drum brakes? My 3/8" spanner is too big and the smallest shifter that I have is too wide to access the top bolt. 1/4 or 3/16??

Also, one of my front drums is stuck on (the drum, not the brake). Any ideas on how to remove it?

Thanks

_________________
Andrew

first question - cant remember so I won't attempt to answer

Second question - Have you tried levering off with two huge flat ended screwdrivers? unladylike but effective when we did Cherry's brakes

_________________

if your brakes are expanded out and you cant adjust them down, the pads could be stopping you from removing it.

Tap it with a large hammer around the drum to help free it up, and if you have an orginal jack with the drum remover tool that would help. Like a screwdriver with a curved end. tap it through the inside of the drum where the cv nut is.

_________________
Aussie Leyland, Aussie Factory, Aussie Mini S.

I have a small ring spanner that fits - can't remember the size but it is metric

_________________
David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Minisports on SA sell a specific spanner where one end is the right shape to accurately fit over the adjuster and the over end is for the bleed nipples.

The brake adjusters tend to round off if the correct ring spanner is not being used and then its hard to adjust the brakes.

I have always found that unadjusting the brakes and then just tapping (not bashing) the brake drum with a hammer is enough to break its seal and let it be pulled off easily. Levering it with a screw driver can bend the backing plate.

Mike

ahhhh we tried both. Wasnt sure which one to recommend so I went with the one I thought was the least damaging to brakes, my bad

_________________

it's 5/16", or 8mm - but if they're siezed you'll expand the little spanner like mine - I keep meaning to buy or make the proper tool. If the adjusters are rounded, pull them out and grind or file them down to 7mm

a trick I was shown once to get a sticky drum off is to put a wheel nut on the stud and tap it with a hammer, the shock makes the drum come off - I put a nut on 2 opposite ones and tap tap tap on one, tap tap tap on the other, etc. etc.

Don't hit too hard because you don't want to knock the stud out, but if you do, just pull it up tight with the wheel nut and it'll pull the stud back in to the hub

_________________
did I tell you that I won a trophy?

im having my adjusters replaced by the pope at link automotive this week, 20 bux a wheel, plus labour.

And Bryan said they are different style of adjusters that wont seize in the future.

_________________
Aussie Leyland, Aussie Factory, Aussie Mini S.

If you want to unseize your adjusters, just get a big pair of vice grips on the brake side of the adjuster (as opposed to the spanner side) and work it back and forth till you can turn it with a spanner. Those replacement adjusters with the locking nuts really annoy me.

And turning the adjuster the direction the wheel moves forward adjusts up, and the wheel going in reverse is to unadjust.

I just got a little pair of vice grips and turned them slowly after spraying down with inox. Freed them up a bit.

8mm is perfect for the job

yep I'm sure I use 8 mm here also. I replaced the adjusters and also the wedge's on Morris about two years ago and and haven't touched them except to 'Well, Adjust Them, twice" I put Copper Grease on them and when I need them to be adjust they are perfect

_________________
Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It