Uneven braking question please

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Hi,
This is probably the most basic of breaking systems in a Citroen 2cv which was pretty well balanced when I delivered the car for an MOT, the car failed on a near side rear wheel bearing which was replaced by a garage close to the MOT testing station the rear drum shoe was released to remove the N/S drum to access the wheel bearing but as I discovered when I got home the drum brakes had not been readjusted properly after the near side wheel bearing had been replaced.

Now on the way home the brakes were causing the car to pull dramatically to the left and I am trying in my mind to work out how this is happening because the trailing shoe on the near side drum is not causing any braking effect.
would I be right in thinking that if only the leading shoe is applying a braking force this would be enough to pull the car to the left?

any thoughts would be appreciated as I am finding this one a little confusing to understand and maybe wondering if there are other possibilities at play here.

thanks in advance

Nigel.

[Peter.N.]

Hi Nigel

I wouldn't think faulty rear brakes would cause the car to pull appreciably to one side - well not on a car with normal suspension anyway. The rear brakes only apply 1/3 or less of the braking effort so one shoe not working would only affect 1/6 of the total. Normally you can't have only one shoe working unless something has seized up as it relies on the other one to push against. I would suspect the problem is with the front brakes. I would take it back to the MOT tester and get him to recheck the brake balance.

Peter

[falling-out-with-my-car]

Hello Peter,

I adjusted the front brakes myself before the MOT as I usually do this myself every year and as I said it was perfectly balanced before the car went for the MOT. The only thing that has changed is the nearside rear drum brakes were released to fit a new rear bearing but not readjusted afterwards, half of the bearing is in the drum and half is on the stub axel.
On Monday Last I jacked up the car and found that the near side rear brakes were not adjusted after fitting the bearing in other words they were just flapping in the wind.

[Peter.N.]

Could be the problem but I have never come across it.

Peter