Series III Parking Brake Rattle, Help!

[ernest.irw]

My series III parking brake start slipping a couple of weeks ago. I've tried to adjust the hand brake lever and it help a bit but I can't park on a very steep slope because the car will slide backwards. The parking brake drum start to rattle too especially when I release the throttle and the rattle get worse if I release the throttle at higher speed. I've replaced the rear prop shaft recently and I did't fit the front prop shaft yet so it is only 2WD. During idle there is a low rumbling noise and slight car shakes but if I pressed down the parking brake drum a bit with my palm, the low rumble and the car shakes disappear. I have not open the parking brake drum yet. I have a few concerns before I do. Can I replace the parking brake pads only and use my old metal shoe? Can this rattle come from a tired bearing and seals from rear output?

[cedryck]

Start with removing the drum, and inspecting the shoes and application apparatus. See if there is something making the noise you mention. What do you mean by old metal shoe?

[ernest.irw]

Hi cedryck thanks for your reply. This may sound silly, I ordered my series III parking brake pads from a local store by phone and they sent me this.
I thought it is supposed to look like this this is from ebay. So I thought can I just replace the pads only? without the metal shoes.

[stomper]

You can replace the pads only, if you can find a brake shop that will drill out the old rivets on the current shoes, and re-rivet the new pads onto your old shoes. Good luck with that, as most of the old brake shops are long gone.

[mearstrae]

We need to work on terminology here. What you were sent would be called "Lining". What you need are "Lined Brake Shoes". The term "Pads" would apply to disc brakes. But, then again if you have a rattle it would seem the brake drum is loose, or something similar. Hard to tell at long distance over the net.

'99 Disco II
'95 R.R.C. Lwb (Gone...)
'76 Series III Hybrid 109
'70 Rover 3500S

[ernest.irw]

Yes that is the correct terminology "brake linings", thanks mearstrae. I agree with stomper "as most of the old brake shops are long gone". This is the challenge of owning old land rovers where I lived which is in Jakarta-Indonesia. Spare parts are very limited, purchasing from ebay seems easy but shipping parts to Indonesia is not that easy. There are very few local shops here in Jakarta still selling old land rover parts and these shops still selling "new" old spare parts, what I mean they are more like an antique shop we can still find parts wrapped in 1960s' packaging. I ordered the brake linings from this old shop and they sent me a set with a bag of rivets. They don't sell lined brake shoes, so I have to learn to install the brake linings the old ways. Seem like an adventure just to replace parts but this is the art of owning land rover series, wouldn't you agree?

[mearstrae]

Ah, I see. There is a chance that one of the old shops there would still have a brake riveting machine. There are tools for hand riveting, used in a vise with a hammer. One is called the anvil and goes into the vise, and holds the bottom side of the rivet (it has a flat face), and the former has a rather cone shape to stake down the rivet with a hammer. I have used both the machine (really just a specialized arbor press), and the hand tools to rivet back in the olden days.
Repairing old Land Rovers should be called true Industrial Art.

'99 Disco II
'95 R.R.C. Lwb (Gone...)
'76 Series III Hybrid 109
'70 Rover 3500S

[singingcamel]

On no there not all gone, I still have a brake riveting machine. I might be able to help you out.

[Les Parker]

Mark,

Glad to know there are still craftsmen out there willing to keep these old Rovers on the road.
Kudos to you !