I have a problem with the 180B drum brakes on the back of my Kahanacross 1200. It has a hydraulic handbrake which I operate with my left foot (its an auto)and I keep bending brake shoes like i'm putting too much pressure through the back system.
Has anyone else ever heard of the same problem. I think the only way out might be to fit discs. If so are bluebird the way to go. I have 13inch rims and a stanza/c20/ 180b wagon axle h165 i think, same as a 1200 ute axle only wider.
Any help would be appreciated
thanks

To cool drum brakes cut circle vent holes at even intervals between the wheel stud diameter and the brake surface. The bending comes from excessive heating with the left foot brake and high line pressures.

Discs will help a lot but may still warp without ducts.

Sounds like you must be pounding those brakes. 180B drums? Are they the Wagon ones? I know some of these rally sprint things are hard on brakes. What's the brake bias normally like? Are they dragging and getting hot all of the time? I can't imagine that any 1200 pedal box would be strong enough to create enough force to bend a drum brake shoe. (Unless the brake shoe was red hot from dragging, overuse, or lack of cooling).

If I was into rallying, I'd have pyrometers on each corner to measure the brake temperatures. Some of those non-contact laser thermometers would be nice.

Chris.

Thanks for the ideas I hadn't thought of the heat thing but it happens in motorkanas as well and I don't think they get that hot. They do get alot of abuse though, I have a 16mm master cylinder hooked up to a pedal where the clutch should be. When I first built it I used a clutch pedal and bent it straight away so I had to change it to a brake pedal as they are stronger. What I am trying to say is I am putting alot more load on it than a normal hydrolic hand operated handbrake. The shoes are bending sidways where they are thin on the ends. I tried welding them to make them stronger but then I smashed the stopper thing oposite the slave cylinder. Does anyone know if 13 inch wheels will fit over bluebird discs ?
Thanks for listening

olboy, is this in addition to the regular rear brakes? Maybe a pressure-limiting valve in the line to the handbrakes would stop the problem.