Hi all ,

So i asked this question on our dutch forum but couldn't get a clear answer.

My bus needed new wheel bearings up front . So that got fixed. After putting everything back together the bus keeps pulling to the right when braking and right drum gets really hot.

Now here's whats all new , Hard brakelines from master cilinder to flexibles , flexibles , all 4 brake pumps in the drums up front. Small hard lines in the drums. Also new wheel bearings.
Not new , brake shoes and drums. Master cilinder itself (but works fine , single circuit)

Brakes are well adjusted (4 teeth above , and 4 below) left and right . But this didn't help so we adjusted the right one some more.

When bus is in the air wheels turn around free.

We tried everything , can't seem to find the problem that the bus is pulling to the right and the right drum is getting really hot.

So any ideas ?

sounds like the right wheel drum is braking before the left. with the bus in the air try with the aid of assistants spinning both front wheels and applying light pressure to the pedal. both wheels should start to rub on the shoes together. but suspect right will stop before the left. could be a faulty wheel cylinder on left wheel. or sticking. ( the bus is pulling to the right because the right is doing most the braking)

Yeah right wheel brakes alot quicker than the left one. ( and gets alot hotter too )

What wheel cylinder do you mean ? ( replaced the wheel bearings left and right )

the brake cylinders (what you are calling pumps) if as you say everything is new should be just adjustment problem. you say you adjusted the right one a bit more, the problem is with the left not reaching the drum at the same time as the right, doing the right will just make it worse. with the left wheel off the ground does the wheel lock with the brake pedal pressed.

With the weels off the ground and the brake pedal slightly pressed , both wheels stop around the same time.

We adjusted the brakes over and over and over again , but still the bus pulls to the right when braking and the right drum gets really hot. So in our oppinion it isn't the adjustment

Front wheels have two pumps are both operating. ...
Are you able to adjust both star adjusters?

There are two on each side to adjust...not just one like on the rear.



Are you you sure that both are set correctly. .
Have you stripped to check springs and how shoes are sitting?
When stripped down you should be able to just push the plunger back into the cylinder (pump)

DO NOT press the pedal with the drums off... you would push the plunger out of the cylinder.
Maybe one of the LH cylinders is not working?
This would mean that the RH side both are working braking snd slowing the bud...creating heat.
Om the LH side one cylinder pushing those edges of the shoe to contact the drum.
Are you adjusting the shoes correctly....
G

Has the oil seal failed in the RH drum - thus coating the linings with axle grease?
Had this happen on mine - pulled like a bugger on braking.

Whip the drums off again to check. You could also properly check both wheel cylinders are moving whilst you're in there.

....Yes if one cylinder is not working/adjusted properly... the shoes will show contact in one area only

everything is new , all 4 cylinders and brake lines. no leaks

I'm still looking for new brake shoes ( no one has them in stock at the moment)

The guys who did the job say everything is in like it should be.

My money would be on a faulty flexy line. I had a new one that only worked in one direction. It would feed fluid to the cylinder then not let it back again. Try swapping the flexis over to check if the problem moves to the left side.

.mmmm.
That is an idea...especially if they have clamped the flexible hose..
So the problem could also be on the one to the overheating drum..

Mmmmm

Pulled to the right with the old ones too , so it would be really strange if it would be the new flexi .

We tried to switch the brake pads and drums , but problem stays on the right , even switched complete brake lines from left to right in the master cilinder and problem stays on the right side.

Will try to change only the flexi lines , but don't think they are the problem.

Have re read the whole thread from the beginning..

So why did you have to change the bearings?
We're the oil seals shot?
Or was there a lot of play or noise in one bearing and you correctly replaced both?
Or were both showing a lot of play?
You have not changed the shoes..
It was pulling to the right anyway. ..so changing all the things you have indicates that it is the drum shoe combination...
Maybe the shoes are contaminated with brake fluid or grease. ..
Maybe the shoes have worn the from on the LHS and now it is running true with a new bearing the contact surface to the shoe is square and retarding you on the right and only just contacting in a small width on the left.
Many years ago I had the same problem on a mini where I just changed shoes on one side..
I had to change them in the other side too..to stop the brake steer problem. .
Fitting new shoes will answer this...and indicate the contact area with the drum...
If problem was there before you changed the pipes over and still there...It is from the flexible forwards to cylinders snd shoes and adjusters. ...and springs

Changed the bearings cause there was play and sound on the right ones. So indeed changed both sides . (Left side was still good tho but changed too )

After this my garage man drove it from the garage to me (1 hour drive ) and when arriving at my house the right drum was smoking . And he told me everything went perfect till the last 10 min .
Week later bacck at his garage we starter to find out if the bearings were still ok , and if there was any damage. It was then that i found out the bus was pulling to the right.

Then we changed flexibles , still pulled to the right , then the hard lines and still pulled to the right , then the brake cylinders and still pulls to the right .

Only thing now i can change are the brake shoes and drums

Get a set of brake shoes ready and strip and examine what has happened to drums. ..be there when it is stripped and photo both sides and post..
May well be the drum is worn.. my mini was so bad the bearing was turning in the housing.. no noise... Only discovered when I changed a tyre.. had to replace drum and spindle..Both were deaf..