Self Adjust Help?

[brisdriver]

Hey everybody,
I'm new just got a M reg 1.8 Driver, GTI insurance too much for me im afraid! anyway I have about an inch of travel on my brake pedal before i get to the brakes if that makes any sense and i was told to move the self adjust so i took of the rear drums and pushed them back up and then put the drums back on and worked the brake to reset the self adjust but the problem is still there. another thing I was told to do was to pull the shoes apart slowly and let it click down click by click until it was just rubbing the drum when its back on, but I have no idea how to pull the shoes apart!!! any help would be greatly appreciated.

David

[Rmachines]

I spent many hours fiddling with this!  As long as the auto adjuster is free and working, it will self adjust,  but for some reason these rear drums seem to like to travel!   I have stripped it down many times and replaced all the parts and still i have allot of travel,  theres nothing else it can be other than a problem with the front calipers, and i have also inspected these a few times,  I guess allot of it is just how golfs are!  Im not sure exactly HOW far yours travels but compared to allot of cars you might find its just how it is.

[brisdriver]

so it might just be a golf thing then? I tightend the handbrake as well last night in the hope that would bring the brakes up and it certainly stiffened the pedal with out the car turned on, but as soon as i turned it on and the vaccum servo kicked back in it went back to how it was with about an inch of travel, oh well im just going to give up and put the wheels back on!!!