Freelander 1 Just when you thought.......

You had sorted all the major items, SHE BITES YOU ON THE ASS...driving today and on way home, complete brake failure....scarey biscuits for the next 30 miles on handbrake. Home and a quick change of boxers, and a quick check.(in the dark with a head torch...) looks like fluid around rear drivers brake drum. Probably rear piston failure. So I'm back in the 308 after 24 days of hippo driving....ho hum....wont be able to do anything until the weekend, so take chance to do the list of niggling things as well.
Any tips...(seems I'm asking that a lot lately)

I would put good money on a pin holding a shoe has rusted away. The shoe has moved, piston popped out of cylinder and no brakes - fairly common (and **** scary) problem for Freelander.

Would imaging your handbrake was only working on 1 wheel.

This happened to me - the shoe retaining pins had corroded/come lose allowing the brake shoe to move and come off the piston.
No effective brakes, and brake fluid everywhere!

Bit late now, but post #19....

https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/tests-new-freelander-1-owners-should-do-on-their-car.312863/

Feck that one should have been at the start....looks like a bit of work. Need to check her and see if I can pick up a new piston, brake fluid, pin, no rest for the wicked..

I agree, it's likely the shoe hold down pins rusted through.
Of course this wouldn't happen if the rear brakes were stripped, cleaned, failing parts replaced, lubrication applied, then reassembled on an annual basis.

Nodge68 said:

I agree, it's likely the shoe hold down pins rusted through.
Of course this wouldn't happen if the rear brakes were stripped, cleaned, failing parts replaced, lubrication applied, then reassembled on an annual basis.

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TBH that is probably "best" but a bit over the top. They should be good to go more than a year between maintenance/servicing. Very few cars would have that much effort put into drum brakes on an annual basis.

The problem is that the shoes/drums last so long that they never get checked, so cars can go 10/15/20! years then all of a sudden the pins perish before you get tell-tale problems like leaky cylinders or worn shoes/drums.

Another issue was no brakes for a couple attempts at breaking before brake light came on..clearly I was pumping fluid out the first go, but would have thought light would have appeared before 2nd attempt....

Alex1000 said:

Another issue was no brakes for a couple attempts at breaking before brake light came on..clearly I was pumping fluid out the first go, but would have thought light would have appeared before 2nd attempt....

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There is not a lot of movement in a brake piston, so presumably the brakes are not designed to move much fluid on each press of a peddle - so it will take a few pushes of the peddle to empty the reservoir.

You can see when you are bleeding brakes, you can press the peddle a number of times before having to refill the reservoir.

Oh god, I'll have to bleed the bloody thing .. I've a brake bleeding kit, thankfully. Can pull the brake fluid through until no bubbles... just abit of pumping at the very last..

Alex1000 said:

Oh god, I'll have to bleed the bloody thing .. I've a brake bleeding kit, thankfully. Can pull the brake fluid through until no bubbles... just abit of pumping at the very last..

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I replaced the whole rear brakes on mine a few years ago - cylinders, shoes, drums, springs, clips.

It took a good bleed to get them working... poorly. Then another good bleed and they functioned really well.

I haven't got any fancy pressure/sucking kit, but I do have a cheap and cheerful 1 man bleeding kit - simple little thing that fits over the bleed nipple which must have a non-return type valve thing in it. So I still pump the brakes to bleed it. It works really really well.

TBH when I see threads where people use these pressure/sucking tools, they look to have the same number of problems as people bleeding the system more conventionally.

I think the important thing is to get all 4 corners up on stands and wheels off, so you can work your way round the car a few times a wheel at a time.

Your biggest problem may be disconnecting the pipes from the cylinders (assuming you replace the cylinders). On UK cars I think the pipes have a tendency to disintegrate as you undo them so need replacement - they are not cheap if you can't make them yourself. Mine were fine, but we don't have tons of salt covering our roads in winter.

Yes, be prepared to replace the short metal pipe to the flexi. The dissimilar metals with an Ali cylinder and steel or copper pipe stick together like glue and attempts to unscrew are usually futile! Pipe breaks or cylinder fractures or if you are really having a bad day then both occur.

Not giving me any reassurance here folks...... but intend to get a kit with springs and clips, and check the shoes. New Pistons on both (see no point just doing one) and do the front brakes as well (Strip, grease the sliders (Red Rubber grease) and check pads and disks.) If money allows, might just replace all, so that its all done... so thats my next couple saturdays fubar.....1st saturday to check everyhting, order parts,and if arrive on time 2nd Saturday to get all done.

Then there is the :-
Reversing Light Switch, replace,
Clutch MAster servo check and replace if necessary,
Clean the air intake pipeworks,
Change the crank case breather filter,
Fit the new (2nd Hand) seats, from breakers and spent hours with Dr Becket and 1001 to clean the life out off.)
Tint the rear glass and rear side windows.
Adjust the rear window so it comes up and INTO the grove, not outside the groove.
Drain and change oil to IRD to check that its not dying.
Straighten and paint/fit the rear towbar steps i picked up. (Nice HSE in the breakers that someone had added a few nice bits to. Going back this saturday to get the steering wheel (Leather and remote controls)
and the stereo (As its a 2 din, and working or not, it has to have the adapter loom.....
And it has a Nudge Bar at front and those other sets of lights, but the though of fitting and wiring those make sthe brakes look easier......take it front bumper has to come off to fit 'em???

Might strip and paint the rear drums while im awaiting the parts to get delivered......

Thinks thats a month of Saturdays.........

GrumpyGel said:

Would imaging your handbrake was only working on 1 wheel.

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That explains why she pulled hard to the left every time I pulled handbrake....

Have a pair of these to hand !
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35405610...5qQSb6hQNK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Thank you, thats very handy and not that expensive. I can take the 2lb hammer to the brakes and not worry tha much to about damaging the pipes.

andyfreelandy said:

Have a pair of these to hand !
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/35405610...5qQSb6hQNK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

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They're a good price. Think that's quite a bit less than when I was looking.

Good find.

Wouldn't touch copper. Far too soft and single use as it twists when unscrewed. Kunifer is a bit harder to bend but stands up to being screwed and unscrewed.

This fell out when I took the Drum of. The drumCame of very easy, as well lubricated with Brake Fluid


No Sign of the pin, but i,ve ordered new Shoes, Pins and Springs, Brake Piston, Brake pipes . All x 2 to do both sides
There due delivery this week, so next Saturday Strip and rebuild both rear Drums.
Actual drums surprisingly show little or no signs of wear, and the shoes look very fresh. Covered in Brake Fluid, so not chancing it, replacing both sides.
Anyone know what size the bolts behind the hub, that hold the brake piston on? Either side of the brake pipe connector. Tried an 8 mm, to big and 7 mm won't fit. The brake pipe came off surprisingly easy at Hub End, but I will replace both anyway.

I think 5/16 inch AF fits.

That'll be 7.9mm. They rarely come out. If they are seized smack head with small cold chisel and remove cylinder.

Who the hell at landrover came up with that size......I've some old AF and Whit spanners of my fathers, Ill have to take a look at, but chisel sounds faster. Hope new ones are metric..Thanks, id never have figured that out.