Hi,

I've overhauled the brakes on my single circuit non-servo Amazon. As part of this , I replaced the rear shoes (Girling system). I ordered them as Volvo originals part no. 271814. The box contains 4 shoes - each shoe has a piece opposite the lining that juts out with a notch cut just underneath that - a link slots into the notch to connect the shoes and the top spring connects the jutting out bits (sorry if the description is bad). When the shoes are fitted to the backplate, the shoe is fitted so the the jutting out parts of the shoe and the leading edge of each lining are positioned to be at the top of the backplate with the trailing edge to the bottom. What puzzles me is that two of the shoes have the leading edge of the lining at the top of the shoe(where the top spring fits) and two shoes have the trailing edge at the top of the shoe. I can't see how the two shoes with the trailing edge to the top of the shoe have any use as the leading edge of the lining should be at the top of the shoe in both cases to provide braking when going forward and when reversing (I think...). Am I missing something?

Thanks,

Aidan
--
1967 131, 1969 131, 1973 Triumph GT6

My theoretical guess is that MUCH less braking is needed when backing up;
speeds are much lower, etc.
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!

That's true. It turns out that the Haynes manual is wrong for a disc-drum setup - the older CVI catalogue shows the same picture and whoever last fitted the shoes to my car was also wrong - the Green book shows both leading edges facing for forward movement braking. My guess is that a drum/drum setup would need opposed leading edges to provide both forward and reverse braking whereas with the disc drum setup the discs provide the reverse braking so the drums don't have to.

Mystery solved...

Hope all works out with the Celery Wagon,

Aidan
--
1967 131, 1969 131, 1973 Triumph GT6

Typically front drums are the dual leading shoe type and the rears are leading/trailing.

This is not always the case, however, when discs are fitted in front as many rear drums are re-fitted as twin leading setups.

--
Mike!