E30 Zone

Hi Guys,

not having much luck today ...

just got back from putting some fuel in after freeing up the central locking on the filler cap and the rear of the car started making some unpleasant screechy noises.

popped the rear drivers wheel off and removed the bub and a load of springs fell out :/

this is what I was left with:





my questions are:

1: if I buy a set of shoes, will replacement springs come in the kit ?

2: what is the small angles bit in the bottom middle of the last photo ? it fell out with the rest of the springs and I can't see where it goes.

3: is anything missing from the forlorn pile of bits ? i.e. do I need to buy anything else ?

sad face, Phil.

It looks like the retaining screws have pulled through the back plate.

1. The springs and bits don't usually come with the shoes in my experience. You'll need to get these from BMW

2. The bottom middle bit should be straight and there should be two of them.. They are the retaining screws and fit through the springs and secure to the brake back plate.

3. The 2nd retaining screw. Call it both of them as the remaining one is very bent

ah, yes, that makes sense, part of me was wondering where the mounting hardware was ...

is this backing plate ok to re-use ? and if not, is it tricky to replace ?
it looks like it's attached by two 10mm bolts, but the inner/center hub bit needs to come off first to remove it ?





also found the other pin:



and finally, for now ... it fits like this : ?



thanks again

a common problem, the hole rusts out and the spring pops out, you do have to take all the hub and everythign off to replace it, or.. you can just put something behind the hole to attach it back in, that will not pull back through the hole, much easier/quicker, or buy a new backing plate and remove the hub etc

hmm, been checking out the guides on the net on removing the hub in order to replace the backing plate - it appears to require lots of parts and tools I don't have.

I think I'll try and weld on a plate or washer to stop the new pins pulling out when I fit them.

it's never simple is it ?

You'll never get the hub off without destroying the bearing, but a new back plate is something to remember should you ever need a bearing doing!

In the mean time you need something to strengthen the backplate, I have seen repair washers which need a hole drillin though the existing pin holes, then the washers push in from behind and are held in place by spring tension. Although it is possible to make some yourself with a small file.

bum of a job, you're lucky it didn't self destruct to the point the flailing shoe punched it's way through the braking surface, locking a rear in the process Fair to say I had a a bit of a fright and a limp home.

Harry, Dieantwoord not your thing then? Did you hold out long enough to spot the non sunroof quattroporte doing donuts at the end?

I have successfully used a re-shaped 'penny' washer,needs to be 'pie segment' shaped to fit the rear of the backplate,and an oval hole in the centre.

Seem to remember that Brian or some-one else posted about a tophat shaped washer that is available as a repair kit,a motorfactor may be able to help here.

Not absolutely nesessary to remove the hub to swap the backplate,slicing a section out so it will slide behind,then welding the cut up is a decent bodge that I have used on a front brake.

Shoe springs/retaining pins are available from the same places that sell the shoes,ask for a 'fitting kit'.

another option is to fit the standard type steady springs which enter from the rear of the backplate and put the retainer on with the pliers from the outer side.

new backplates can be fitted without removing the bearing with careful use of a grinder with a thin disc and a welder, although it's not ideal. i did this after realising i hadn't fitted my new backplate before pressing the drive flange in

Drill the damaged holes in the backplate out to a round hole that lets something like this seat in from behind: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160507709266? ... _500wt_716
Note that the above link is just an example - there are other sizes available, and I'm not claiming that these are the correct ones.
With these in place, the standard pins will fit, with the springs being compressed by close to the designed amount.
If you go down the new backplate cut and welded route, make sure you don't lay a line of weld where the shoes lie against the back plate.
Note that these pins can come adrift if the handbrake has been adjusted at the lever instead of in the hubs, as this causes the pins not to lie at right angles between the shoe and the fixing holes.

alan1272 wrote:new backplates can be fitted without removing the bearing with careful use of a grinder with a thin disc and a welder, although it's not ideal. i did this after realising i hadn't fitted my new backplate before pressing the drive flange in

I know that feeling... You're so intent on driving the new bearing and hub in you forget something so basic!

harry_p wrote:You'll never get the hub off without destroying the bearing, but a new back plate is something to remember should you ever need a bearing doing!

I've often heard that, sure, they do split, but as long as you can pull the inner bearing off the hub, its just a case of reassembling it whilst making sure not to damage the dust seals.

For what its worth, I replaced the knackered pins with similar gauge bolts with a few strategically placed nuts and washers to hold everything together. Not ideal, but cheap and simple and the shoes only really need holding vaguely in the right place. Obviously you have to leave enough slack to let them move in and out relative to the brake surface.

cheers for all the advice, people

Brian: I went through my spares pile and found a fitting kit for a Mk2 Fiesta (no idea why, never owned one ) and I did look at the 'cups' and wonder if it would work.
I'll have a better look when the fitting kit turns up.

though, for the time being, the (hammered back into shape) pins seem to be holding up, so hopefully the new ones will too.

Brians lockhead washer fix is a good one, I did this fix on my e46 when its holes rusted out too. 3 MOTs later is going good.!!