Rear brakes seemed to be dragging yesterday, so I headed home gently. Left hand rear drum was much warmer than the right when I jacked the car up and took the wheels off. Next was to remove the brake drums and see what is causing the brake to drag. I could not get the left drum to turn initially. I disconnected the handbrake cable and opened up the brake bleeder and eventually got it to move a bit. Tried a hammer but no movement on either of the two sides. I gave up and went inside for the night. Hit the 'net looking for hints. My Sunny has a Stanza rear axle. Turns out that there is a built in puller for the drums in the form of two holes in the front face of the drum, between the wheel studs, which are threaded. So I found some bolts that were the right size and started them in the holes, When they bottomed I alternated between each bolt turning each about a third of a turn at a time. The drum eventually moved with a loud crack. Kept winding the bolts until the drum came free of the end of the axle.

This is what I found in the left hand drum when I pulled it off:




Lining had come away from the shoe. The lining is shorter than it should be, so I guess that it had worn down to the shoe at one end and then the bonding had failed on what was left. Fortunately ho damage to the drum, as the loose lining was still in the correct(ish) position and prevented the show grinding away at the drum.

Any recommendations for a brake place in Melbourne? New shoes and new rubbers in the wheels cylinders while it's all apart.

Actually is a good thing, at least You are telling the tell.
Could have been really BAD!!! Consider your self lucky.
I drink to that.
Cheers.

Agreed, it was good that no damage occurred -- the shoes are easily replaceable

Here the brake shoes and wheel cylinders are available at any local auto parts store

Glad nothing went to bad for you especially out driving. Its good practice to back the brakes off at the adjuster so the drum slides off easier. Often you will have a lip on the edge of the drum that gets caught up on the shoes.

@Datsandy:
Automatic adjusters on the stanza girlock brakes - no access at all to the adjuster from/through the backing plate. I have a vague recollection (from back in the day when most cars had rear drums) that you can "adjust off" by driving backwards while holding some tension on the handbrake. Drums didn't have lips when they came off and pretty clearly the drums are an interference fit on the end of the axles - given the loud crack when they budged.

@ddgonzal:
It's a stanza axle with Girlock brakes - so probably not a local parts store item in your part of the world! I think these were Australia only

Yes, Girlock is big in USA now, but not back in the 1980s

The self-adjusting brakes always have a manual adjustment provision. It's usually a slot in the backing plate, or maybe a round inspection hole. It's used to initially set the brake shoe clearance, and without it the brakes aren't removable if the drum wears abnormally (which is fairly common) ...

Yeah what DD said. Also drums arent interference fit if looked after e.g using anti seize you would be able to remove a drum quite easily without the 2 m8 bolts to assist providing you leave handbrake off and at times may need to back off adjusters.

Go on line for brake parts here in OZ. Plenty of outlets in Melbourne selling at least 1/2 retail. Did all 4 on the Aurion in T3 Spec for less than the 2 fronts Genuine. Did it for around $100 a corner. Top quality parts. Not Bad I recon.

@DattoFrog
I did have a good look online, but came up with absolutely nothing for brake shoes. I ended up going to a brake place in Morth Melbourne that I've been to some years ago. I presented my dirty shoes and drums and told the lady on the counter it was Datsun Stanza whereupon she consulted a computer and a couple of very dog eared and greasy finger marked catalogues and identified two possibilities - both for a stanza. One (I guess) would be for the (import) H165 axle and brakes and the other the BW axle and (girlock) brakes. She matched one of the diagrams of the shoe shape to my shoes and went off up the back to see what she could find.

Then one of the guys working there came in from outside and walked over to the counter and had a look. "Datsun 1384" he says (the catalogue number for the shoes). "Don't have em in stock, but can fix yours. Not so common these days!"
He proceeded to tell me that he seriously considered putting himself up for the old TV show "Mastermind" special topic: brake shoes!

@Datsandy @ddgonzal:
I checked the backing plate and there's no hole that gives access to the adjuster. Also no hole in the drum to access it from the other direction. I'm sure Mr Mastermind will have the answer.