[singleminded]

i've owned my one since I was nineteen, it got lost for 35 years in between, and I'm still learning..John

[study]

That is just what I worked out last night - The wheel spindle and the drum spindle butt against each other and then tighten fine. It had been the drum bearing that was confusing me. The fact that it relies on being a press fit and peened as opposed to a spacer between it and the brake plate to stop it potentially moving toward the brake. All sorted now - Thanks    Give me a few years and I will be quite understanding of how Sunbeam engineering practices worked.

[singleminded]

It sounds as if you need to fit a spacer between the short stub axle and the the bearing axle.
I think that I had to do this on mine.If it pulls up too much it may be possible to damage the frame lugs where the spindle goes through and you do not want that.
If you think about it the short brake drum section axle is pulled up hard against the right(looking from the rear) frame lug.
The wheel and drum should be bolted together and the spacer on the left fitted with the spindle just pushedthrough and engaged a couple of threads. the wheel/drum assembly should then only just move an the spindle.If it moves too much then the drum will rub/jam against the brake plate.
A spacer may then be needed to remove as much play as is possible to allow clearance between the drum and brake plate, you should be able to measure the size of the spacer needed from the distance between the left frame lug and the left wheel spacer and fit the spacer between the drum axle and the wheel axle. The whole lot should then tighten without distorting the rear of the frame---much

[study]

Does the brake plate have a boss on it that sits against the bearing ?  I can tighten the stub axle to the frame - the brake plate is tight but the sprocket moves in and out - then when I fit the wheel and tighten the inner spindle it just sqaushes the brake drum/sprocket tight against the brake plate

[VicYouel]

No spacer fitted on any of mine but beware unless it is properly peened in (not just loctited) to the brake drum it can tend to "ride out". I found it quite a difficult arrangement to get my head around it as to what bits are rotating either when stationary in neutral or moving in gear. 

[study]

Question about the rear wheel spindle - The short stub axle that holds the brake and sprocket, should there be a distance spacer between the bearing inner race in the brake drum / sprocket and the inner face of the brake shoe plate ?  I couldn't see anything in the parts book but it is not very clear.