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Pretty basic question but ...

To do the rear brakes (shoes) on an L series wagon, the big nut on the outside needs to come off to remove the drum ???
And what size is the nut because i will need to buy a socket big enough to fit.

Thanks in advance.

Don't think it needs to come off, can't quite remember, don't have them on my L anymore. But a 36mm socket and breaker bar is what you'd need.

Yes it does.

And Andrew is right, a 36mm socket and a bloody big bar to break it loose. From memory these nuts are done up to 190Nm.

Thanks guys ... off to supercheap!

In the past, I've found that a Monkey Wrench is just as good for undoing these nuts (though I do own a 36mm socket now)

good luck finding one of those at Supercheap though, biggest I've seen is 32mm.

wagonist wrote:In the past, I've found that a Monkey Wrench is just as good for undoing these nuts (though I do own a 36mm socket now)

good luck finding one of those at Supercheap though, biggest I've seen is 32mm.

Repco stocks them

Yea, in the end I borrowed a big socket set off the old man.
Hes a retired mechanic, luckily he still has a few tools.

Ive undone the nuts, hopefully take a look at the brakes tomorrow.

Dont breathe in the dust, if they are originals, they probably have asbestos in them.

Water spray or wash into a disposable tray for best results in washing the dust away out of harms way

Thanks for the reminder about the asbestos guys ... will be carefull.

Its funny though, the old man worked around asbestos brakes all his life, i can remember seeing him blowing the dust away with compressed air at times. Hes in his mid 70's and has also smoked all his life and is as fit as a fiddle ...

Some people prove more susceptable than others, you mightn't get that lucky. At my work they're OH&S crazy, and the make us wear dust masks when working on any brakes regardless!!

Ok, got the brakes done but the pedal is really spongey. Goes a fair way to the floor.
When I was putting it back together I pushed the piston out of one side of the wheel cylinder so it may be air, but it also may be adjustment?

Anyone tell me how the rear adjusters work ? Do they self adjust or do you have to be adjusted manually? Dont seem to be able to adjust manually because there is no hole in the backing plate ?
When I put it back together the left rear went back on easy but right rear needed a little persuasion. When I test drove the left rear drum was warm but right rear was too hot to touch.

Ive done heaps of brakes before, but these are a little different.

You'll have air in the system if you didn't bleed the brakes after putting the piston back in, so bleed them!

As for the heat, I'd never checked mine before the discs went on but they'd have to be the roughly the same. Might be good to open both back up and spray down with some brake cleaner to make sure all moving parts are working properly, reassemble and check out how they're going after a drive...

Cheers

Bennie

yea, cool, thanks