Hello all,

I know sticking rear drums is a common problem in wet weather, but mine seem to be really bad. It's a 2009 Mk2.5 (Auto), about 25k, got it last summer, first 4 months or so no problems at all. Ever since it's started to colder and wetter though, I've been having problems. Unfortunately I live on a slope so I really need to use it to park. After just a few hours with the parking brake on, they will almost always stick. Most of the time it'll just pull away once I get going, although one time it stuck hard and I had to go at it with a hammer. After that I took it down to the local ATS to have a look at it (they've been pretty reliable in the past), they said inside the drums look fine, they gave it a clean and sent me on my way.

It's still happening though, and this morning it took a bit more persuasion to get it to release, and there was a bit of a clunking noise from the brakes afterwards for the first few times I used the brakes after pulling away. It stopped after a minute but that was a bit concerning.

Anyway, I really don't want to send it off to another garage just for them to tell me the same thing, and I'm relatively happy going into the drums myself if I have to (although I don't have a decent jack so that might be a problem), just wondering if anyone has any tips or advice. I read in the common problems thread that spraying the cables with WD40 can help - is there anything else I can do? If I go into the drums and give them a really good cleaning, or replace the springs? I'm sure ATS would have said if the pads were needing done, but at 25k they should be fine.

Any ideas much appreciated!

I would take the shoes apart and grease the back plate where the shoes rest with some copper slip and give them a good clean and the drum with some brake cleaner and put them back together see if it helps sorry for late reply forgot to hit post lol

A general inspection and clean would be a good start. it could be caused by a sticking cable lever or adjuster so without looking it would be impossible to say.

The last cars I have had to sort out brake drum problems were both due to the handbrake levers on the shoes being stiff/seized

Thanks both, I'll have a look inside this weekend. As it happens, I have a service booked in for a few weeks time (the dealer gave me a service pack for free when I bought the car), so if I can't see anything obvious I'll maybe wait for that.

If I were to take it apart, do you think I'll have any problem refitting the original springs, or should I be ready to put new springs in?

I live in a flat on a busy street and it's a bit of a pain to do work on the car so I haven't taken the wheel off again to double check this (will do at the weekend) - but from memory last time I had the wheel off, the drum didn't have a dust cap or nut to remove in the middle - this is a random photo I've found online but I think it was similar to this:

http://i.ehow.com/images/a02/70/v9/remove-tires-brake-drum-800X800.jpg

Is that familiar to anyone? I'm pretty sure it has a hole to screw a bit into to help get it off (I was watching them do it when I had it in ATS), but otherwise just a case of persuading it pull off. I think I read somewhere it's a 8mm threaded bit you need for the hole?

Thanks all!

Hey Martin, did you ever sort your problem. My Ford Focus is doing this on both wheels. Its driving me into despair.

damned Drums, I fixed mine by installing rear discs :)

drums stick, that just seems to be the nature with these things, I had mine out, cleaned and checked over, the only thing I didn't do was replace the drum or the shoe, it wasn't a fantastic amount more that the cost of those to install disc brakes so I jus t decided to bite the bullet and do it right. never had a problem since and the handbrake is now bomber! ]