Brakes and axles - going back together

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A couple of pictures taken early on when this was still a game! Shows the front nearside hub stripped down, cleaned-up and given a lick of paint. The original backing-plate was refitted. The stub-axle is protected from contamination as I figured this be a good idea.

Stick some wadding/cloth in the axle to protect the bearing area. Tape it over if using a wire-brush fitted to a drill for example. Don't want crud in there if you can help it. Copper paste...why not. Clean-up as much of the axle as you want NOW as it's a lot easier than with the backing-plate refitted. It's that lower right-hand recess of the axle end that clogs up with salt and wet mud which rots the backing-plates.

Positioning the new freshly painted backing-plates. The large hole lower middle is different to those of the originals but it doesn't seem to matter. The slit opening is for the handbrake linkage. This has been factory-strengthened compared to the originals. Clean bearing grease is smeared inside the axle where the bearing will rest.

Probably forgetting someting here however it helps if there's two of you when inserting the half-shaft. Went in and the splines located no problem. Four bolts through the pressure plate, roadside of the backing-plate, hold it all together.

The lever mechanism of the handbrake, inside of the backing-plate, was very stiff and required much WD40 and copper-paste to free-off. I broke the corroded clip/pins somewhere back there and replaced them with stainless clevis pins. New brake shoes were fitted, adjuster screws freed up and the whole lot reassembled. It needs to be centered to fit the disc, but not by much.

Rear view of the same. Retrospectively I should have changed the brake-pipes at this point. We worked the handbrake cable free and tried to give it some lubrication. Seemed to be behaving itself.