Fitted new wedges today and when I was looking at how the mechanism works in the rears I got a little confused. I always thought when adjusting you did it till they stuck (which would be some point on the round bit on the adjuster) and then slack off a bit (i'd usually go till the wheel was just turnable with one hand).

Then I got thinking wouldn't the adjuster just slide down to the flat eventually after use?

Am I supposed to turn the adjuster over the ridge to the flat where it just catches or is it supposed to rest on the round bit of the adjuster?? I get more confused the more I think about it!

I tried the flat on the fronts but they adjust till the wheel locks and you can't get the adjuster over the round onto the next flat so I figured what I was doing originally was right. Also with the fronts, because of the drive train they are going to have resistance anyway right, so they need to be that more tighter then the rears which can rotate freely when unadjusted?

Help me get my adjusting confidence back!

Shard

Use the flats at the back. As you indicate, if you don't they will shuffle round in use.

The fronts work on a different principle. They use a cam rather than wedges so there's no "high point" as you go over the "point" of the adjuster. So, you just turn until it locks then back off a bit. You can't really spin the wheel to check like the back because of drive train drag but you can feel the point where they're close but not actually dragging (too much

Cheers, Ian

I figured as much cool.

Another question, when I took it for a test drive my brake system is acting like it's got air in it! Is it possible in fiddling with the rear drums to take out the adjusters (I didn't disconnect anything) that the cylinders might have sucked air in somehow? I didn't think this was possible without them leaking fluid?

I know I need to readjust them but I always thought a weak pedal and then stronger one after a pump was an air symptom and not an adjustment one? But then I wonder how air got in there between this morning and me changing the rear adjusters.

Stupid drums I want discs already .

Shard

You're still going to have drums at the rear and they're the ones causing issues....

Fiddling with the adjusters should not have allowed any air in....but it does sound like you have some in there.

When you bleed the brakes you need to "un-adjust" them as much as possible. This allows lots of movement and the best chance of shaking the air loose (don't ask me where it hides but it certainly manages to). The Ezi-Bleed is one of the best tools ever invented IMHO.

Pretty much all the trouble I've ever had bleeding brakes seems to be attributable to the front drums. The S type systems seem to behave quite well but I have spent hours (days even) trying to get a decent pedal with all drum set-ups.

Cheers, Ian

Ar **** just got home from work and i'll start again from scratch, unadjust everything and then bleed them. This is like the fifth time in a month and a half i've stuffed around with bleeding/adjusting .

Shard