Hi - last night it was the rear brakes (mostly). Apparently I am missing the felts for the cover inside the brake drums - I can't remember there being any when I took it off. I made something out of 6 layers of these thick, thick synthetic spill-mats. Should be Ok.

Here's my big question: I'm no longer so sure I know what shims go where; rounded ones behind the brake plate, straight-sided ones in front. And some on the left, and some on the right! I carefully laid it all out on a tray, then moved the tray one night, and can't be sure I didn't turn it and reverse-sides! What are they for? Is there any way to figure this out??

Also, I need a brake line for the rear, driver's side. I already broke one at JP's, in the process killing a wet system, and he doesn't have any spares off of cars he's parted-out. Anybody-else got one?

(Green-Line fixed all my buggered-up SS brake lines for the front.)

No clue about the shims - have a look at the green manuals on line at K-jet.org (same as 1800). As for the hard line - they are standard imperial double flares available at any auto parts store, bend them up and away you go.

Hey, you are right, Craig. Simple-enough. Not dead-simple, but Ok. I have the broken one to work from.

These shims - they must be to keep the rear wheels exactly in line with the front ones. I'll figure it out.

Could be alignment shims, post a pic maybe?

I'm pretty sure they are NOT there for alingment - they are there to adjust the load on the bearing...check out the green manual for details.

Hi -

I emailed Olof and he can get me the felt pads, but I think I am Ok.

Thanks for the suggestion about pics - I would have done that, as I was really puzzled for awhile, but have loaned my camera out to a friend whose daughter is graduating. Olof confirms Craig's suggestion, and I also figured it out myself somehow while I was sleeping; the shims are for bearing clearance; as I wrote in a post earlier, the L and R axles just pull out of the diff. and are really only held in by the bearing caps, which are force-fitted, no threads. So the brake plate has to be shimmed to between a frog's hair and a toe-nail (0.007 - 0.2mm ) and then bolting the brake assy to the trailing-arm holds it all in place! I can do that. Shims only on one side (the right) which was how I put them on while I was guessing, but there is a plate on both sides (I think on the outside of the plate - pressing on the bearing-cap) and a gasket between the felt pad and the brake plate. The felt pad is held in by a cover-plate.

Too much detail likely, but there you have it. I'll do that, and swap my springs this afternoon.

James