Peugeot 405. Manual - part 42

fluid leaks, corrosion or damage. If attention
is necessary, see Section 11.
9 If new brake pads are to be fitted, the
caliper piston must be pushed back into the
cylinder to make room for them. Provided that
the master cylinder reservoir has not been
overfilled with hydraulic fluid, there should be
no spillage, but keep a careful watch on the
fluid level while retracting the piston. If the
fluid level rises above the “MAX” level line at
any time, the surplus should be siphoned off
or ejected via a plastic tube connected to the
bleed screw (see Section 2). Note: Do not
syphon the fluid by mouth, as it is poisonous;
use a syringe or an old poultry baster.
10 Retract the caliper piston by applying
pressure, and turning it clockwise. A special
tool is available for this purpose but a pair of
circlip pliers or any similar tool can be used
instead. Take care not to damage the surface
of the piston. Turn the piston to position the
notches in the piston on the centreline of the
slot in the front of the caliper.
11 Fit the pads, sliding them into position in
the caliper bracket, with the friction material
against the disc.
12 If the threads of the new guide pin bolt are
not already pre-coated with locking
compound, apply a suitable thread-locking
compound to them. Pivot the caliper into
position, then install the guide pin bolt,
tightening to the specified torque setting while
retaining the guide pin with an open-ended
spanner. Where applicable, refit the dust
cover to the guide pin.
13 Reconnect the handbrake cable to the
caliper.

14 Depress the brake pedal repeatedly until
the pads are pressed into firm contact with
the brake disc, and normal (non-assisted)
pedal pressure is restored.
15 Repeat the procedure on the remaining
rear caliper.
16 Refit the roadwheels, then lower the
vehicle to the ground.
17 Check the hydraulic fluid level as
described in Chapter 1.
18 New pads will not give full braking
efficiency until they have bedded in. Be
prepared for this, and avoid hard braking as
far as possible for the first hundred miles or so
after pad renewal.

6

Rear brake shoes - renewal

3

1 Remove the brake drum (see Section 9).
2 Working carefully, and taking the necessary
precautions, remove all traces of brake dust
from the brake drum, backplate and shoes.
3 Measure the thickness of the friction
material of each brake shoe at several points;
if either shoe is worn at any point to the
specified minimum thickness or less, all four
shoes must be renewed as a set. The shoes
should also be renewed if any are fouled with
oil or grease; there is no satisfactory way of
degreasing friction material, once
contaminated.
4 If any of the brake shoes are worn unevenly,
or fouled with oil or grease, trace and rectify
the cause before reassembly.
5 To renew the brake shoes, proceed as
described under the relevant sub-heading.

Bendix brake shoes

Note: The components encountered may vary
in detail, but the principles described in the
following paragraphs are equally applicable to
all models. Make a careful note of the fitted
positions of all components before dismantling.
6 On early models, unhook the shoe retainer
springs from the brake backplate using a
forked tool similar to that shown. The tool can
be improvised using a screwdriver with a
notch in the blade. The tool is pushed through
the centre of the spring, and the spring hook
can then be released from the backplate (see
illustrations).
7 On later models, using a pair of pliers,
remove the shoe retainer spring cups by
depressing and turning them through 90º (see
illustration). With the cups removed, lift off
the springs and withdraw the retainer pins.
8 Ease the shoes out one at a time from the
lower pivot point, to release the tension of the
return spring, then disconnect the lower return
spring from both shoes (see illustration).
9 Ease the upper end of both shoes out from
their wheel cylinder locations, taking care not
to damage the wheel cylinder seals, and
disconnect the handbrake cable from the
trailing shoe (see Haynes Hint). The brake
shoe and adjuster strut assembly can then be
manoeuvred out of position and away from
the backplate. Do not depress the brake pedal
until the brakes are reassembled.

Braking system  9•7

6.7  Removing a later type 

Bendix shoe retainer spring

6.8  Ease the shoes out of the lower pivot

point, and disconnect the lower return

spring - Bendix rear brakes

9

6.6b  Removing an early type 

Bendix shoe retainer spring

6.6a  Forked tool for removing early type

Bendix shoe retainer springs

Restrain the wheel cylinder piston with
a cable-tie or a strong elastic band

Warning: Brake shoes must be
renewed on both rear wheels at
the same time - never renew the
shoes on only one wheel, as

uneven braking may result. Also, the dust
created by wear of the shoes may contain
asbestos, which is a health hazard. Never
blow it out with compressed air, and don’t
inhale any of it. An approved filtering
mask should be worn when working on
the brakes. DO NOT use petrol or
petroleum-based solvents to clean brake
parts; use brake cleaner or methylated
spirit only.

10 With the shoe and adjuster strut assembly
on a bench, make a note of the correct fitted
positions of the springs and adjuster strut, to
use as a guide on reassembly. Release the
handbrake lever stop-peg (if not already
done), then carefully detach the adjuster strut
bolt retaining spring from the leading shoe.
Disconnect the upper return spring, then
detach the leading shoe and return spring
from the trailing shoe and strut assembly.
Unhook the spring securing the adjuster strut
to the trailing shoe, and separate the two.
11 If genuine Peugeot brake shoes are being
installed, it will be necessary to remove the
handbrake lever from the original trailing shoe,
and install it on the new shoe. Secure the
lever in position with a new retaining clip. All
return springs should be renewed, regardless
of their apparent condition; spring kits are
also available from Peugeot dealers.
12 Withdraw the adjuster bolt from the strut,
and carefully examine the assembly for signs
of wear or damage. Pay particular attention to
the threads of the adjuster bolt and the
knurled adjuster wheel, and renew if
necessary. Note that left-hand and right-hand
struts are not interchangeable - they are
marked “G” (gauche) and “D” (droit)
respectively. Also note that the strut adjuster
bolts are not interchangeable; the left-hand
strut bolt has a left-handed thread, and the
right-hand bolt a right-handed thread.
13 Ensure that the components on the end of
the strut are correctly positioned, then apply a
little high-melting-point grease to the threads

of the adjuster bolt (see illustration). Screw
the adjuster wheel onto the bolt until only a
small gap exists between the wheel and the
head of the bolt, then install the bolt in the strut.
14 Fit the adjuster strut retaining spring to
the trailing shoe, ensuring that the shorter
hook of the spring is engaged with the shoe.
Attach the adjuster strut to the spring end,
then ease the strut into position in its slot in
the trailing shoe.
15 Engage the upper return spring with the
trailing shoe, then hook the leading shoe onto
the other end of the spring, and lever the
leading shoe down until the adjuster bolt head
is correctly located in its groove. Once the
bolt is correctly located, hook its retaining
spring into the slot on the leading shoe.
16 Peel back the rubber protective caps, and
check the wheel cylinder for fluid leaks or
other damage; check that both cylinder
pistons are free to move easily. Refer to
Section 12, if necessary, for information on
wheel cylinder renewal.
17 Prior to installation, clean the backplate,
and apply a smear of high-temperature brake
grease or anti-seize compound to all those
surfaces of the backplate which bear on the
shoes, particularly the wheel cylinder pistons
and lower pivot point (see illustration). Do not
allow the lubricant to foul the friction material.
18 Ensure that the handbrake lever stop-peg
is correctly located against the edge of the
trailing shoe, and remove the elastic band or
cable-tie (as applicable) fitted to the wheel
cylinder.

19 Manoeuvre the shoe and strut assembly
into position on the vehicle, and engage the
upper end of both shoes with the wheel
cylinder pistons. Attach the handbrake cable
to the trailing shoe lever. Fit the lower return
spring to both shoes, and ease the shoes into
position on the lower pivot point (see
illustrations).
20 Tap the shoes to centralise them with the
backplate, then refit the shoe retainer pins
and springs, and secure them in position with
the spring cups.
21 Using a screwdriver, turn the strut
adjuster wheel to expand the shoes until the
brake drum just slides over the shoes.
22 Refit the brake drum as described in
Section 9.
23 Repeat the above procedure on the
remaining rear brake.
24 Once both sets of rear shoes have been
renewed, adjust the lining-to-drum clearance
by repeatedly depressing the brake pedal.
Whilst depressing the pedal, have an
assistant listen to the rear drums, to check

9•8 Braking system

6.13  Correct fitted position of later type

Bendix adjuster strut components

6.19a  Fitting the brake shoes - 

early type Bendix brakes

6.19d  Later type Bendix shoe components

correctly assembled

6.19c  Front view of early type Bendix shoe

assembly correctly assembled - removed

from backplate for clarity

6.19b  Rear view of early type Bendix shoe

assembly correctly assembled - removed

from backplate for clarity

6.17  Apply high-melting-point grease to

the shoe contact points on the backplate

A  Leading shoe
B  Trailing shoe
C  Lower pivot point
F  Adjuster strut 

mechanism

1  Upper return spring
2  Lower return spring
3  Retaining pin,

spring, spring cup

4  Adjuster strut-to-

trailing shoe spring

that the adjuster strut is functioning correctly;
if so, a clicking sound will be emitted by the
strut as the pedal is depressed.
25 Check and, if necessary, adjust the
handbrake as described in Section 17.
26 On completion, check the hydraulic fluid
level as described in Chapter 1.

Girling brake shoes

27 Make a note of the correct fitted positions
of the springs and adjuster strut, to use as a
guide on reassembly (see illustration).
28 Carefully unhook both the upper and
lower return springs, and remove them from
the brake shoes.
29

Using a pair of pliers, remove the leading

shoe retainer spring cup by depressing it and
turning through 90º. With the cup removed, lift
off the spring, then withdraw the retainer pin
and remove the shoe from the backplate.
Unhook the adjusting lever spring, and
remove it from the leading shoe.
30 Detach the adjuster strut, and remove it
from the trailing shoe.
31 Remove the trailing shoe retainer spring
cup, spring and pin as described above, then
detach the handbrake cable and remove the
shoe from the vehicle. Do not depress the
brake pedal until the brakes are reassembled.

32 If genuine Peugeot brake shoes are being
installed, it will be necessary to remove the
adjusting lever from the original leading shoe,
and install it on the new shoe. All return
springs should be renewed, regardless of their
apparent condition; spring kits are also
available from Peugeot dealers.
33 Withdraw the forked end from the adjuster
strut, and carefully examine the assembly for
signs of wear or damage. Pay particular
attention to the threads and the knurled
adjuster wheel, and renew if necessary. Note
that left-hand and right-hand struts are not

interchangeable; the left-hand fork has a left-
handed thread, and the right-hand fork a
right-handed thread.
34 Peel back the rubber protective caps, and
check the wheel cylinder for fluid leaks or
other damage; check that both cylinder
pistons are free to move easily. Refer to
Section 12, if necessary, for information on
wheel cylinder renewal.
35 Prior to installation, clean the backplate,
and apply a thin smear of high-temperature
brake grease or anti-seize compound to all
those surfaces of the backplate which bear on
the shoes, particularly the wheel cylinder
pistons and lower pivot point. Do not allow
the lubricant to foul the friction material.
36 Ensure that the handbrake lever stop-peg
is correctly located against the edge of the
trailing shoe, and remove the elastic band or
cable-tie (as applicable) fitted to the wheel
cylinder.
37 Locate the upper end of the trailing shoe
in the wheel cylinder piston, then refit the
retainer pin and spring, and secure it in
position with the spring cup. Connect the
handbrake cable to the lever.
38 Screw in the adjuster wheel until the
minimum strut length is obtained, then hook
the strut into position on the trailing shoe
(note that the left and right-hand adjusters are
not interchangeable - see paragraph 33).
Rotate the adjuster strut forked end, so that
the cut-out of the fork will engage with the
leading shoe adjusting lever once the shoe is
installed (see illustration).
39 Fit the spring to the leading shoe
adjusting lever, so that the shorter hook of the
spring engages with the lever.
40 Slide the leading shoe assembly into
position, ensuring that it is correctly engaged
with the adjuster strut fork, and that the fork
cut-out is engaged with the adjusting lever.
Ensure that the upper end of the shoe is
located in the wheel cylinder piston, then
secure the shoe in position with the retainer
pin, spring and spring cup.
41 Install the upper and lower return springs,
then tap the shoes to centralise them with the
backplate.
42 Using a screwdriver, turn the strut
adjuster wheel to expand the shoes until the
brake drum just slides over the shoes.
43 Refit the brake drum as described in
Section 9.
44 Repeat the above procedure on the
remaining rear brake.
45 Once both sets of rear shoes have been
renewed, adjust the lining-to-drum clearance

by repeatedly depressing the brake pedal.
Whilst depressing the pedal, have an
assistant listen to the rear drums, to check
that the adjuster strut is functioning correctly;
if so, a clicking sound will be emitted by the
strut as the pedal is depressed.
46 Check and, if necessary, adjust the
handbrake as described in Section 17.
47 On completion, check the hydraulic fluid
level as described in Chapter 1.

All shoes

48 New shoes will not give full braking
efficiency until they have bedded in. Be
prepared for this, and avoid hard braking as
far as possible for the first hundred miles or so
after shoe renewal.

7

Front brake disc - inspection,
removal and refitting

2

Note: Before starting work, refer to the note at
the beginning of Section 4 concerning the
dangers of asbestos dust.

Inspection

Note: If either disc requires renewal, BOTH
should be renewed at the same time, to
ensure even and consistent braking. New
brake pads should also be fitted.
1 Apply the handbrake, then jack up the front
of the car and support it on axle stands (see
“Jacking and Vehicle Support”). Remove the
appropriate front roadwheel.
2 Slowly rotate the brake disc so that the full
area of both sides can be checked; remove
the brake pads if better access is required to
the inboard surface. Light scoring is normal in
the area swept by the brake pads, but if heavy
scoring or cracks are found, the disc must be
renewed.
3 It is normal to find a lip of rust and brake
dust around the disc’s perimeter; this can be
scraped off if required. If, however, a lip has
formed due to excessive wear of the brake
pad swept area, then the disc’s thickness
must be measured using a micrometer (see
illustration). Take measurements at several
places around the disc, at the inside and
outside of the pad swept area; if the disc has

Braking system  9•9

7.3  Using  a micrometer to measure 

disc thickness

6.38  On Girling rear brake shoes, adjuster

strut fork cut-out (A) must engage with

leading shoe adjusting lever on refitting

6.27  Correct fitted positions of Girling rear

brake components

Arrow indicates direction of wheel rotation

9

Wrap a strong elastic band
or a cable-tie around the
wheel cylinder pistons to
retain them.

worn at any point to the specified minimum
thickness or less, the disc must be renewed.
4 If the disc is thought to be warped, it can be
checked for run-out. Either use a dial gauge
mounted on any convenient fixed point, while
the disc is slowly rotated, or use feeler blades
to measure (at several points all around the
disc) the clearance between the disc and a
fixed point, such as the caliper mounting
bracket (see illustration). If the measurements
obtained are at the specified maximum or
beyond, the disc is excessively warped, and
must be renewed; however, it is worth
checking first that the hub bearing is in good
condition (Chapters 1 and/or 10). Also try the
effect of removing the disc and turning it
through 180º, to reposition it on the hub; if the
run-out is still excessive, the disc must be
renewed.
5 Check the disc for cracks, especially
around the wheel bolt holes, and any other
wear or damage, and renew if necessary.

Removal

6 On models with Bendix calipers, remove
the brake pads as described in Section 4.
7 On models with Girling calipers, unscrew
the two bolts securing the caliper mounting
bracket to the hub carrier (see illustration).
Using a piece of wire or string, tie the caliper
to the front suspension coil spring, to avoid
placing any strain on the fluid hose.
8 Use chalk or paint to mark the relationship
of the disc to the hub, then remove the
screw(s) securing the brake disc to the hub,
and remove the disc (see illustration). If it is
tight, lightly tap its rear face with a hide or
plastic mallet.

Refitting

9 Refitting is the reverse of the removal
procedure, noting the following points:

a) Ensure that the mating surfaces of the

disc and hub are clean and flat.

b) Align (if applicable) the marks made on

removal, and securely tighten the disc
retaining screws.

c) If a new disc has been fitted, use a

suitable solvent to wipe any preservative
coating from the disc, before refitting the
caliper.

d) On models with Girling calipers, refit the

caliper as described in Section 10.

e) On models with Bendix calipers, refit the

pads as described in Section 4.

f) Refit the roadwheel, then lower the

vehicle to the ground and tighten the
roadwheel bolts to the specified torque.
On completion, repeatedly depress the
brake pedal until normal (non-assisted)
pedal pressure returns.

8

Rear brake disc - inspection,
removal and refitting

2

Note: Before starting work, refer to the note at
the beginning of Section 4 concerning the
dangers of asbestos dust.

Inspection

Note: If either disc requires renewal, BOTH
should be renewed at the same time, to
ensure even and consistent braking. New
brake pads should be fitted also.
1 Firmly chock the front wheels, then jack up
the rear of the car and support it on axle
stands (see “Jacking and Vehicle Support”).
Remove the appropriate rear roadwheel.
2 Inspect the disc as described in Section 7.

Removal

3 Remove the brake pads as described in
Section 5.
4 Use chalk or paint to mark the relationship
of the disc to the hub, then remove the screw
securing the brake disc to the hub, and
remove the disc. If it is tight, lightly tap its rear
face with a hide or plastic mallet.

Refitting

5 Refitting is the reverse of the removal
procedure, noting the following points:

a) Ensure that the mating surfaces of the

disc and hub are clean and flat.

b) Align (if applicable) the marks made on

removal, and securely tighten the disc
retaining screws.

c) If a new disc has been fitted, use a

suitable solvent to wipe any preservative
coating from the disc, before refitting the
caliper.

d) Refit the brake pads as described in

Section 5.

e) Refit the roadwheel, then lower the

vehicle to the ground and tighten the
roadwheel bolts to the specified torque.

9

Rear brake drum - removal,
inspection and refitting

2

Note: Before starting work, refer to the note at
the beginning of Section 4 concerning the
dangers of asbestos dust.

Removal

1 Chock the front wheels, then jack up the
rear of the vehicle and support it on axle
stands (see “Jacking and Vehicle Support”).
Remove the appropriate rear roadwheel.
2 Remove the drum retaining screw (see
illustration).
3 It should now be possible to withdraw the
brake drum by hand. It may be difficult to
remove the drum due to the brake shoes
binding on the inner circumference of the
drum. If the brake shoes are binding, proceed
as follows.

a) First check that the handbrake is fully

released, then referring to Section 17 for
further information, fully slacken the
handbrake cable adjuster nut, to obtain
maximum free play in the cable.

b) Insert a screwdriver through the access

hole in the rear of the backplate (prise out
the blanking plug, where applicable), so

9•10 Braking system

7.8  Disc securing screws (arrowed)

9.2  Rear brake drum 

retaining screw (arrowed)

7.7  Removing a Girling caliper 

mounting bracket bolt

7.4  Checking disc run-out 

using a dial gauge