Defender TD5 Parking Brake Drum

Hi
I have fitted a new Handbrake Cable to our 2006 Defender 90 and connected it at the Parking Brake Drum.
My problem is the refitting of the Drum. I started to fit it, getting as far as partially assembling it over the Shoes, aligning the 4 Back Plate Bolts and mating the Drum over the Bolts. At this stage the Drum was very tight, requiring a small lump Hammer to knock the Drum on over the Shoes. The Adjuster was backed off. I then disassembled the Drum. My concern was that if the centralisation of the Shoes, which should have been taking place to some extent, during assembly of the Drum, did not alleviate the tightness, there must be something wrong. I am also concerned, in my ignorance, of the impact of the Drum being tight when I then come to reassemble the Rear Prop Shaft to the Drum.

Can anyone advise me?
Thank you.
PantGwyn

slacken the nut at the other end of the cable it should loosen the shoes

Hi
I should have said that at the moment the HandBrake Cable is not connected to the HandBrake Lever in the Cab.
Pantgwyn

at the bottom of back plate the adjuster has 2 x metal shoes that brake shoes seat in these fall out when shoes are removed sometimes, are they in the right way and seated properly with adjuster backed off on front of backplate the brum shoul slide oveer loosely ,adjust shoes so that they centralise in drum then back off till not touching they can grab if touching then adjust cable to correct lever

Hi

I did manage to disconnect the old cable and connect the new one, without totally removing the Shoes.
I removed the lower horizontal Spring that held the 2 Shoes together, in order to do this.
I did have to reposition the 2 metal sliding Shoes in the Adjuster. I positioned them so that the right angled protrusion on these metal Shoes was on the inside, and therefore not visible when viewed from the rear of the car, looking towards the front. I hope that this was correct.
Thank you for your support.
I will have another look tomorrow.
Pantgwyn

Hi Jamesmartin
It occurs to me that the problem could be with the Adjuster.
When I last looked, this adjuster was seated in a recess which is a horizontal slot. Would this be correct?
Also, the 2 metal Shoes were positioned with the right angled walls of these metal Shoes to the front of the car and therefore these right angled walls were not visible when viewed, as I was, from the rear of the vehicle. Does this seem right?
Thank you

Pantgwyn

Hi
A more thorough look this morning, at the sliding metal Shoes in the Adjuster mechanism, showed that I had assembled them the wrong way round. The Drum is therefore now reassembled and the job completed.
Thank you to those who responded.
Pantgwyn