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MG TD TF 1500 - Rear brake question

Just so I'm correct in my assumption. The rear brakes have one operable shoe. As best I can tell, the second (top) shoe doesn't pivot or expand, correct?
Richard

no Richard, seems not corret to me...why put in 2 shoes and only let one do the job?

Jan Mekes
JTM Mekes

Richard, the rear wheel cylinder is free to slide in the backplate. The piston force one way on one shoe equals the reaction force from the base of the cylinder on the other shoe. The front cyls are bolted to the backplate. George
George Butz

George, that makes sense, duh!! Thank you. Now I'll go back and make sure there's free movement; I'd assumed that once all the pieces were in place, the rear cylinders wouldn't move -- wrong on my part.
RM Kaplan

One of the things you will find if you drive the car enough, is that due to the rear cylinder pushing out on both shoes, you will run out of adjustment on the rear brakes long before the lining on the shoes is worn out. This can be corrected by adding about a 1/8" thick shim under the adjuster mask. O'Connor Classics in California sells a mask with the shim spot welded in place. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

Many miles ago, I was advised that the lack of adjustment could be solved at a cost of 6 cents,,, a penny placed at each mask to act as a shim,,, But now that Dave pointed it out, I would rather go with the O'Connor Classics method,,, Thanks Dave !!!!

SPW
Steve Wincze

Steve,

You will note a sort of semi loop in the bundy pipe where it is screwed into the rear of the brake cylinders. This is to allow for the slight movement. DON'T fix the pipes without a little slack.


Jan T
Jan Targosz

Steve - The cost would only be 2 cents if using pennys, since they are only needed for the rear brakes. The adjusters on the front brakes are only adjusting a single shoe, so you get full travel from the adjuster, whereas it is adjusting two shoes on the rear and the result is only half as much travel on either shoe. Cheers - Dave
David DuBois

So I'll offend the purists. Had I not just bought new rear cylinders I'd seriously have considered modifying and installing a more conventional dual cylinder.

The brake design isn't something I'd write off so fast as one of the charms of the car. Too late though.
Richard

Richard,

If you put dual cylinders on the rear of the car, it will change the car's brake balance. You will increase the force applied to the rear brakes, causing them to lock much earlier than the fronts. Therefore, you will reduce the overall effectiveness of the whole braking system. (You won't be able to brake the fronts as hard as before, because the rears will lock.) There's a reason the car was designed with dual fronts/single rears, the majority of the braking comes from the front wheels.

I would recommend staying stock, so you can stop safely.

Good luck,
Evan
Evan Ford - TD 27621

Richard, Unconventional as the design may seem, the rear brakes work very well for a long time and many miles. The fronts with the original type unsealed cylinders are the usual problem with moisture intrusion causing the steel pistons to rust/freeze/or galvanically corrode the cylinder bores. When properly rebuilt, a TD-TF should stop very well with minimal (for non-power) pedal pressure.
George Butz

This thread was discussed between 11/01/2005 and 13/01/2005

MG TD TF 1500 index

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