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October 5, 2014

Rear Brakes & Axles

[Click the pics for a better view]

The TR6 has conventional 9 inch, single leading shoe drum brakes at the rear.  There are apparently a few "upgrade" options for these brakes, but considering that it is not difficult to lock up all four wheels with the stock system on this car, it's hard to see what advantage "better" brakes would have.

The brake assembly was crusty and rusty.




The slave cylinders were frozen solid.  When I finally got them apart, I was not surprized to find severe pitting in the cylinder wall.  On the other hand, the adjustment assemblies cleaned up nicely.

  


After derusting the backing plates, they were cosmetically pitted, but otherwise still serviceable.  The pitting was a challenge for the powdercoat.  I ended up applying a flowed but uncured coat, sanding, then topping with another coat cured normally  The first coat acted like a filler.  




The drums and shoes were dirty and rusty, but had very little wear.  I must have done a brake job before I put the car away.  I blasted and powder coated them.




So, other than the slave cylinders, the shoe retaining pins and clips, and the new nylok nuts and washers to hold the adjustment block, everything here is at least 34 years old.  The parking brake arms and the adjuster screws were replated.




These are ready to mount.




First, I installed new studs in the helicoiled holes in the trailing arms, using Loktite to keep them in place.




Then mounted the brake assemblies, and installed the rear axles.  It might be possible to bolt everything up with the shoes in place, but it's certainly easier without them.




Then put the shoes back on, and the drums.




At this point, I had suspension and brakes at all four corners, so this frame could be taken off the rotisserie.




Back on the ground at last!  The left picture was taken back in May when the body had just been taken off, and the frame power washed.  Even though it may not look like it from this distance, the difference between the two pics is hundreds of hours and many hundreds of dollars.  The puppy is new, too.



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