What did you do today?

[FatherJack]

I have never changed rear drum brakes and with a MOT looming I have to get it done, there is no adjustment left on the handbrake and it has eight clicks of travel.

The shoes have been here a couple of years, I meant to do it a while ago but tweaking the cable was an easy option and I have only been doing 250 miles a month at the for quite a while, three cheers for remote working.
However two pistons have developed sticky points so I decided to go Full Refurb, Calipers all round, pads, disks, and the lovely disk and shoe combo rear disk drums.

I started with the OSR because it was nearest and it all came to bits with no real problems, just the usual faffing with finding odd length spanners to undo stuff, some bits probably undisturbed since manufacture.

Where it all went off the rails was the re-assembly bit, the handbrake arm has a spring washer and a circlip that hold it on the brake shoe on a post.
After much cleaning of components and swearing it appears the new shoes have a manufacturing fault.
The post all this clips onto has not been pressed straight into the brake shoe leaving the post too short to insert the locking clip and spring washer.

The two for one thing to piss me off is, I bought two sets of rear shoes thinking I could tuck the second set away to sell at a premium in a few years when there are no parts available for slighty sporty Japanese estate cars.
The second set is just as fucked so I am off to Allparts on Monday.
The Nearside shoes are fine which is odd.

Anyway, I still havent changed rear drum brakes.

Not buying Ridex parts any more

[Drum]

It's probably the handbrake cables that need to be changed ...

[FatherJack]

The shoes have a lining about the thickness of a credit card and the drum seems to not be very circular, it just goes wob wob wob if you try and handbrake turn now.

I should know better but the inner Hooligan is never far below the surface.

[paulplom]

Been driving this quite a bit lately. I thought I'd hate it but it's actually quite good. Decent visibility, piss easy to park, very refined, quite a few toys. It's petrol too. She paid £10k for it about 8 months ago with 22k miles on. Now on 29k.
The only downside is the piss poor sized petrol tank. Filled it yesterday from under a quarter and it only took £45.

[FatherJack]

Anyway, I still havent changed rear drum brakes.

Not buying Ridex parts any more

I looked back through my order history and several facts leap out

It was STARK not Ridex
I have been putting this off for three years
A full set was £12

[SiC]

Both I think are Autodoc own brands? I.e. cheap generic Chinese parts with their brand stamped on them.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Been driving this quite a bit lately. I thought I'd hate it but it's actually quite good. Decent visibility, piss easy to park, very refined, quite a few toys. It's petrol too. She paid £10k for it about 8 months ago with 22k miles on. Now on 29k.
The only downside is the piss poor sized petrol tank. Filled it yesterday from under a quarter and it only took £45.

Fuck off.

If there’s anything worse than a Qashqai it’s one of those shitboxes.

[paulplom]

Serious. I wanted to hate it but it was okay. Potholes weren't a problem for it. No crashing or banging.

[Drum]

Gave the Reno a 10 mile test drive (on private roads obvs)

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The auto box isn't great. Bit of a struggle on the hills. Hopefully an oil change would help it.

[xtriple]

As the MOT is due shortly on the Jag (it's booked on for Tuesday, nearly a month early as I don't like leaving stuff to the last minute, it hurts my brain... ) I moved the cars around after taking the mutts to their favourite spot firstly in the Merc, roof down naturally as it was fookin' lovely out. Having got the Jag into a position of great nearness, I checked all the lights, wipers/washer, front and rear fogs, horn (boy was Bellend surprised by that!) and then checked under the bonnet. The oil is now nicely discoloured (a very light brown shade) so it will be easy to see if it's been changed (or not) and all the other levels are correct.

The oil leak and water leak that were 'advisories' last year have been dealt with and remain spot-on and Busman sorted out the rear subframe for me (Cheers John ) with wire brush, black paint and Waxoyl so that should be sorted as well. The only outstanding points on the list were two little rubber booties that were deteriorated, strangely, no one seems to want to do them so I expect they are a fucking nightmare!

All checks now down I decided, given the sun was out and the forecast on my phone was for a continuation of pleasant weather for the next few days, I got the hosepipe out and washed the Jag. It's a BIG BUGGER and the wheels have far too many spokes. I also, in a fit of (rare) enthusiasm did the merc as well!

The Merc had moss growing in various crevices, a fact that distressed me greatly (given that I'm a pain in the arse, fussy old bastard!) so I actually expended some effort to eradicate the bloody stuff!

Of course, Bellend helped. Quite what her 'help' entailed I cannot fathom but she is never far from me, and she likes to help... Chester, post-walkies, was knackered and had gone back to bed! I'd just finished, still basking in the warmth of the big yellow thing in the sky when it all suddenly darkened...

Yep, it fucking pissed it down. God hates me...