Kadett drum brake problem

[PoochyCor]

My emergency brake wasn't catching on the passenger side ('64 Kadett) so I took it apart. The car doesn't run and the hydraulic brakes don't work (or hold even fluid). I need someone to check my power of recollection on drum brakes.

The H-bar shoe seperator seems to be the wrong part. If I'm thinking right the ends of the separator should slide around the spine of the shoes on each end. This bar butts up against each shoe but doesn't slide over - too short and won't fit with the emegency brake bar in place.

Am I thinking right?

[73Manta72gt]

The bar on my 1.1L GT has a slot and the shoe slips inside of it..I broke mine pulling off rusted on drums and had to weld it back. It's a part OGTS doesn't stock. I think the slot is worn deeper on mine because the parking brake doesn't hold at all.

[GTJIM]

Never had my 1967 Kadett rear brakes apart so would need a picture of yours to make an informed guess - Can you load up a couple of pictures?

[PoochyCor]

Just able to get back to the car today. I took the driver's side apart first to compare, realized the seperator went between the front shoe and the emergency lever, not the front and rear shoes. No need to upload pictures (thank goodness, I haven't had the best of luck with that).

It now appears the problem is the wear on the bake lining, it's pretty thin. I can't get it to contact the drum by turning the eccentric fully out.

Can I get new shoes or am I going to have to figure out how to reline the old (which is what the manual directs)?

[GTJIM]

Relining brakes is remarkably cost effective and will fix wear problems.

There must be a Brake relining shop somewhere in Oklahoma! Have a look in your Telephone "Yellow Pages" under "Brake Parts - Manufacturers & Wholesalers". You don't want one of the chain-store places like Midas or such but the place they send there stuff to get it reconditioned.

They need the drums and the old brake shoes as, usually, the drums need to be turned out true and the newly bonded on friction material ground to the correct radius to match the new surface inside the drum.

[PoochyCor]

Kinda funny, the car hasn't been tagged since '90 and needs nearly everything restored. The first money spent - new tires, now - brakes. Seems like a true 'ground up' restoration. I guess I'd better have a look at those axles.