Alas, no Requiem for Ronald - Colin Standing
Well, James, David W, Alvyn Booth and Ian Cook, between you you've done it again.

Ronald the aging Renault 5 with the seized rear drum is off again. David in fact got it EXACTLY right - lining detached from shoe. I now believe unreservedly that a big hammer is number one piece of essential gear.

So, why the 'alas'? Wife and self had a secret prayer that Ronald would get himself off without further ado to the big other-world car park, and had resolved that anything over twenty five quid would finally bankrupt step daughter. Unfortunately twenty quid cracked it, so there will be lots more of what step-d calls teething problems with Ronald for you good guys to solve.

Thanks again for all your help.

Colin S
Re: Alas, no Requiem for Ronald - Ian Cook
Obviously, Colin, you're just too good! Somehow you need to lower their expectations. Difficult to do if you've got a track record for fixing the impossible though!

BTW, how did you remove the drum?

Ian
Re: Alas, no Requiem for Ronald - Colin Standing
Ian - thanks. A puzzle here.

Car is '84 B, bought new by step-d's grandma, who previously owned similar Y. Manual for Y still in boot and shows three different rear hub/brake/shoe arrangements. The drum on the car - which I know to be original - is shown in the book with different innards. It was not possible to release the tension as shown in the book because the required access hole was in a different place.

So all that was left was brute force - lots of sharp tapping all round and sides of drum, then two blunt old long screwdrivers (one me, one wife) prising round against the back plate. Didn't expect it to work frankly.

Cheers Colin S
Re: Alas, no Requiem for Ronald - David W
Colin,

Glad you sorted it to live (and hassle you) another day.

Funny thing yesterday the chap from across the road was towed out of his drive for a few hundred yards with one back wheel firmly locked.

Bet it was the same thing. His rear tyre must have a massive flat spot from the amount of rubber on the carriageway.

Also I started the tractor today for the first time in months, the clutch was stuck on that. The usual brutal tricks worked.

It's all the wet we've had.

David
Re: Alas, no Requiem for Ronald - James
I still think that a new BMW 330 (your other daughter's impending purchase) will be a bigger worry!