Mk2.5 Rear Drums Sticking

[martinspoon]

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!

[nicg]

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

[stef123]

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

[martinspoon]

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!

[Clem]

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

[Dee_82]

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! ]