78 series 3 109 brakes

[dixono]

so ive been having brake problems where I have to pump the brakes about three times before I get much of a response. so I took all my drums off and discovered that I had some bad brake cylinder leaks and the shoes where low. so ive replaced all the shoes and cylinders. they seem to be a bit better but it still takes a couple pumps before the cylinders get good pressure on the shoes it seems. this is not the best for quick stopping. I was thinking maybe this could be the master cylinder or the servo? any thaughts? thanks

[VA7ZD]

Make sure your brakes are adjusted properly. This might cause some grief. I had to slack my rear brakes all the way off. This is due to the way Land Rover designer their backing plate /rear cyl combination. With the rear bakes adjusted properly there can be a small amount of air trapped causing all kinds of hate and discontent. I'm not sure if this applies in your case or not.
When bleeding the brakes, start with the one furthest away from the master cyl., then the next furthest and so on. Follow your brake lines on this one, it's not always the one diagonally opposite the master cyl. that's the furthest. In my case it is the left rear that is the furthest away. (Defender)
Best to use a power bleeder, but not everyone has access to those. Get your significant other to help. You know the process. Then readjust your rear brakes to their proper clearances.
Hope that helps
Regards
Ian

[Greg S]

Dollars to do-naughts that you have the rear shoes mixed up. Do a search on this forum for about a hundred threads on the subject. Specific to 109's! This isn't anything an 88 owner would know about without having worked on 109 rear brakes.

The shoe locating pins for the adjusters are ever so SLIGHTLY different on two shoes compared to the other two. The correct shoe has to match up with the correct adjuster snail or else you have to pump your brakes. The different position is invisible until you find it, then it sticks out like a sore thumb.

[red90]

Are the cams adjusted out as far as possible without too much drag? Springs on properly?

[dixono]

I know about the starting with the furthest cylinder away from master cylinder trick so I think ive gotten all the air out. so I took the back wheels off and investigated. at a close look I cannot see any difference in the position of the adjustment pins. I looked long and hard! anyway i noticed that two of the shoes have little or no adjustment on the snail cam. so I took the shoes off and started switching them around to try to get more adjustment out of them. I managed to get them in an order that seems to have given the shoes more adjustment than I had before. so I put it all back together and I am now able to stop with only one pump but it still seems really weak and with a second pump it gets better. do the fronts ever have this issue? also where do you guys get your shoes? the ones I got from rimmer bros are absolute junk and the adjustment pins are loose and some where falling out I actually had to jb weld them into place. im about ready to loose my marbles over these brakes!

[island dormy]

Hi Dixono

I sent you a long pm to do with your brakes over a week ago. I do not think pm's are getting through. I do not save them or I would send it to you again. If you make it to the Van Isle Rover rally this weekend maybe someone can help you.

Victor

[tony]

The cams on my backing plate were wore out on my series truck many years ago and that was the reason i had to pump the brakes 3 times to stop. you may need new backing plates.

[harv]

I'm pretty sure you can replace just the adjusters (snails). I'm sure I replaced them a number of years back and it solved the need to pump up the brakes issue. JB Weld won't last for that application.