These ones are confusing me as ive done these before and as you say get the screwdriver in the do the adjustments, but this holes position is more or less in line with the shock absorber and screwdriver length would then come into play . It was hard getting the drum off , and the first one ive ever had to fight with, I think who ever fitted the shoes knew the handbrake cable has wear due to age , so though it won't be a problem i will tighten the adjuster on the shoes ......,big mistake .
My plans are as follows and all depends on weather and time
Get the drum off clean all the metal work to do with the break setup
Red grease what ever needs it lightly sand the face of the shoes and give the drum a little scuff up .
Get the old bearing out and press in the new one .
Check the driver side rear and clean all of the break components too then put it back together again .
But we all know how theory's differ from the actual job
Husky. Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.
Huskyxantia wrote: 01 Feb 2026, 20:10
But we all know how theory's differ from the actual job
It'll go fine Husky
MattBLancs wrote: 01 Feb 2026, 10:55
Hole with a bung in it sounds like the (drum in disk) adjustment method for 406 rear brakes.
Some also have this access bung to allow the self adjusters to be released if there's a significant drum wear ridge and the drum won't readily pull off... As you say Matt, real keyhole surgery stuff!
On the AX, you can release the self adjusters through a wheel stud hole. I's tricky and you almost need X-Ray eyes to do it and the skills of a lock-picker along with a good mental image of what the assembly looks like...
Huskyxantia wrote: 01 Feb 2026, 20:10
These ones are confusing me as ive done these before and as you say get the screwdriver in the do the adjustments, but this holes position is more or less in line with the shock absorber and screwdriver length would then come into play .
Ah sorry I had missed this bit!
So the hole is in the backplate? On the 406 (and from Jim's description the AX wheel bolt hole) you are reaching through from the outside at least!
But we all know how theory's differ from the actual job
Ha ha! Next to no swearing or big hammers mentioned in the official procedures!
Yes thats correct hole is in back plate sorry if I didn't mention it , ive heard of doing the adjustments via the bolt hole , think i had a mk2 fiesta not sure that got adjusted that way , if I'm wrong it might of been another old car I have many yr back.
The photo attached is a 3 year ago when I had my grey 207, the adjuster is on my left as your looking at it , this photo must be the driver side rear , or im hoping this setup hasn't been done the wrong way by previous ownership care ?. Or is this how they go
Driver side rear adjuster on right
Passenger side rear , on left?
Is this why the hole isn't near the adjuster ? Oh heck
Attachments
Husky. Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.
Definitely the driver's side, the handbrake cable gives it away and it all looks identical to the photo I took of the C3 so everything looks right.
Both sides are a mirror image of the other. The auto adjuster has a cogged wheel that has a bit that drops into the cog teeth to stop it turning back so even if you can find a hole in the back plate it may be impossible to turn the cog back if you cannot lift the bit. In some ways it is like a handbrake ratchet.
On the Cactus the adjusters had D on one and G on the other which I took to be right and left (droit and gauche). However, they were on the opposite sides of the car when looking to the front and had been put on this way when built so I did not swap them over.
First time I removed/cleaned the shoes I found it awkward so made some notes which helped later. They are a bit long but may make the job easier.
To remove the shoes once the drum is off
- check under the cylinder rubbers to make sure it is not leaking, then tie wire around the cylinder so the pistons do not pop out
- count the number of threads showing on the adjuster so it can be set similar when the shoes have been put back
- remove the spring fastener from the front shoe then lift off the front shoe to release the springs
- remove the back shoe fastener and remove the back shoe with the handbrake cable and adjuster still attached and the adjuster can be pulled off
- release the handbrake cable from the shoe using thin pliers to hold the cable through the spring.
To refit the shoes, after cleaning everything and putting copper grease on relevant moving bits such as the auto adjuster threads and back plate area where the shoes contact and hand brake lever. The adjuster to be set to minimum before fitting the shoes.
- fit the adjuster to the back shoe with its spring
- fit the handbrake cable to the back shoe using pliers to hold the cable (without pliers it is a pain as the cable wants to move into the car)
- fit the back shoe to the back plate with its fastener
- fit the springs to both shoes and adjuster to the front one
- fit the front shoe to the back plate using its fastener
- check the adjuster ratchet bit hangs down onto the cog and is not pushed back
- fit the adjuster round spring last
- remove the cylinder wire used to stop the pistons popping out
- rotate the adjuster cog using a gloved finger so the shoes just rub in the drum which needs the drum putting on and off a few times
- make sure the back shoe hand brake lever stop peg is against the shoe
- with the drum on use the foot brake and hand brake a few times and if needed adjust the hand brake nut to take up any slack but the stop peg should still be against the shoe
- check under the cylinder rubbers again to make sure it is not leaking
- fit the drum with its hub nut tight
- with the hand brake off press the pedal a lot and check the adjuster can be heard clicking so you know it works and is making final adjustments.
- once happy fully tighten the hub nut and peen it over
Thanks Paul, will defo use that as a reference and reminder
I still prefer disc and pad set up but never mind im really enjoying this little car at present its a god send its been getting to tand throw hospital twice a day since last week no probs (wifes got suspected small bowel blockage or pancreatitis) going back up to see her in a bit , feels weird without her . So far the brakes are all pulling equal , just that bearing sound ,new bearing has been shipped so mid week it will be here fingers cross . But hearing the weather on the radio earlier its getting colder again !
Husky. Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.
Much appreciated Jim, we're waiting mri scan,seems to be taking so long so I kicked off today , when I went back up the hospital this afternoon the wife told me that someone came round and said something in the morning is being done , and an mri in the afternoon, im hoping she did eat this evening , its been oh your scans today don't eat , then it didn't happen , shes got a drain up the nose to the stomach into a bag ,this was disconnected when I went back up earlier and she had to be aspirated, 3 syringe full of green liquid, she felt better after , 2 days ago they did the same thing 10 times and the bag was still on , its not nice her being messed around , she looks so week , im going back up in the morning ,,plus my health issues too , but im doing ok ive put myself on 3 types of vitamins plus the cod liver oil every other day along with the usual meds im on so im ok, and I will praise it up again the little 207 has been an absolute amazing little car some of the weather its drove through around some pretty bad country roads has been a proper test for ever wanting to know how good theses little cars are ,and tommorow its new rear wheel bearing arrives , so next plan is to get a spare couple of hours and some dry weather then it will be sorted .
Husky. Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.
Shes been messaging me since early hours ,tubes coming out so fingers crossed looks like the long awaited mri scan today, think she must be feeling slightly better she's asked me to take some makeup to her ? She said something called ? In a pink tube ,most of her bags contents is pink , now if it was a old tool set
Husky. Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.
Huskyxantia wrote: 04 Feb 2026, 09:25
Shes been messaging me since early hours ,tubes coming out so fingers crossed looks like the long awaited mri scan today, think she must be feeling slightly better she's asked me to take some makeup to her ? She said something called ? In a pink tube ,most of her bags contents is pink , now if it was a old tool set
Wanting makeup is a great sign Husky Like you, it's a total mystery to me - always has been! Women I understand fairly well but not their makeup
I was lucky to have a wife who hardly ever bothered with it and when she did it was just a dab of eyeshadow.
A Polish 'girl' over the road, supermodel looks, never wears makeup and always in baggy off the shelf unremarkable clothes.
I say girl as she looks to be about twenty three. She is forty three.
Thank you she rang earlier , scan results show the stomach perforation has got smaller , she's having an mri today(she had ct scan yesterday) and there be putting a food tube in as well ,she said something about it being stitched (thats what the consultant said) thank you for your kind wishes
Husky. Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.
My two daughters couldn't be more different with makeup. Robyn never uses any, although I think she may have used a bit on her wedding day, and Sian is incredibly skilled with makeup and spends what seems hours every day practicing her art
Thinking outside of the box is better than sitting in a dark one.
cross . But hearing the weather on the radio earlier its getting colder again !
she rang earlier , scan results show the stomach perforation has got smaller , she's having an mri today(she had ct scan yesterday) and there be putting a food tube in as well ,she said something about it being stitched (thats what the consultant said) thank you for your kind wishes