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Bob's Brake Saga - Get those cylinders installed correctly

To: "mg-t" <mg-t@autox.team.net>
Subject: Bob's Brake Saga - Get those cylinders installed correctly
From: "Bob Donahue" <bobmgtd@insightbb.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 16:39:28 -0500
Ever since my TD's restoration 5 years ago, the brakes have pulled to the
right. I recently discovered that this "annoyance" around town can get REAL
hairy when you have to stop fast at highway speed. I finally decided to fix it
once and for all. Surely replacing the cylinders and linings would fix the
problem. WRONG, after alleviating some drag, I found the problem was ten times
worse! Not only did the car pull to the right, the right front wheel would
lockup with a moderate amount of pedal pressure. Now conventional wisdom says
that when the car pulls to the right something is wrong with the brakes on the
left side. WRONG again.

MG list to the rescue: Bob Grunau hit the nail on the head. On the right hand
side the I had the cylinders installed backwards. The cylinder that was
supposed to be pointing up was pointing down and vice-versa. As I see it, the
pistons were forcing the leading corner of each lining to dig right into the
on-coming travel of the drum. This was causing the brakes to grab big time.
The corners that encounter the on-coming travel of the drum should be on the
fixed end that isn't pushed out.

Now the car is stopping straight and true. Thanks to all that replied.

Bob Donahue (Still Stuck in the '50s)
Email - bobmgtd@insightbb.com
Cars:       52 MGTD - #17639
               71 MGB - #GHN5UB254361
Member:  NEMGTR #11470
               NAMGBR # 7-3336
               Hoosier MGB Club
               Olde Octagons of Indiana

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