I think I am more confused about these @$%@$#$^)%^$#$%^ brakes then before
Jesus ' 55 Belveredre
Lars Larson 56 Plymouth wrote:
> Nothing seems to be simple do it?
> First of all, 55-56 brakes are of the Wagner Lockeed non servo type.
> Well almost.
> My Raybestos brake manual says that SOME Dogdes and all Chrysler and DeSoto in
> 56 used the Chrysler Center plane total contact brake. Plymouth still used the
> Wagner system as did some Dogdes.
> Note the article quoted is for the wagner lockheed units which is correct for
> the 55-56 Plymouth of both 10 and 11 inch brakes.
> Method of adjustment for the two different brake types is just that,
> Different.
> back to the 55-56 Plymouth in question-
> While the recommended procedure from WPC seems to be fine, I think there are
> some inherent problems.
> First, if you wannt cut that slot into the adjuster bolt, make it virtually in
> the same direction as the arrow is. In other words, when the arrow is
> parralel to the ground the slot should be parallel to the ground. THIS IS
> BECAUSE the starting point for a major adjustment is for the arrows to be
> pointing at each other!!!!! No other location will do! In the case of front
> wheels, the top arrows point each to the wheel cylinder right next to it. For
> rears, they just point to each other. Now you start your adjustment
> procedure.
>
> What U R doing is setting the anchor end of the shoes at minimum and then
> moving them out from that minimum point to get the recommended clearance.
> After U have established that point U can go to the adjusters at midpoint of
> the backer plate and adjust for the loose end of the shoe. This is of course
> a minor adjustment, the major portion having already been made. U may find
> that after U adjusted the loose end (middle adjuster) U have to back off the
> anchor end and recheck the loose end.
>
> It MATTERS how U rotate the adjusters. Both get moved in a similar direction,
> each away from each other.
> IT is covered in Mopar shop manuals for various years and in MoToRs manual
> often available at your public library.
> You MUST turn those &*&@*&!@#*((&*!@!!! adjusters on the backside the proper
> direction and not just wiggle them b ack and forth till it feels 'OK'. SOme
> manyuals carefully show the direction U must turn the bolts (each in opposite
> direction from each other), others do not, esp the later ones, most likely
> since Chrysler has felt their people knew that over the past _____ years of
> experience???
> My 55/56 Plymouth manual shows this clearly on page 35 and 36.
> Attempting to repair/adjust our >>>>LOOK vehicles requires a service manual if
> you desire facts not heresay or "mebbee this ill werk" kind of info. Buy
> yourself one for CHristmas- your wife or significant other will find you much
> less crabby!
> NOW
> You want to measure heel and toe clearances? Not guess like the earlier
> article said? Get your handy dandy bench grinder that U made from that old
> washing machine motor and grind a slot in the brake drum where the braking
> surface intersects the large flat face of drum. Do it Just big enough say
> 5/8 incches long x 1/8" high, so U can slip a feeler gage thru and MEASURE!
> For your conscience U may wish to use a small rat tail file to ease the edges
> of the slot eliminating stress concentration. Do this on every brake drum.
> When U measure U will rotate the drum until U get to heel or toe. Obviously
> this is not accurate with distorted drums!!!!! But you have checked this or
> had them turned so thats not a problem.
> My 51 Merc came from the factory with such slots. I did this on my 38 Ply
> pickup also.
> And dont forget heel and toe is different for front and rear shoes!!!! Rear
> wheels the heel is at bottom for both shoes. Front brakes the heel is at
> bottom of front shoe and TOP of rear shoe-
> The rear brakes were first used in 1928 and minor changes up to 56 except for
> changing ftrom stepped bore cylinders to straight bore. Note the front brakes
> use an unusual type of piston and seal arrangement, with the seal located
> midway in the cylinder rather than just a piston with a seal at the inside
> end. I dont recall that mine were special in any way, would bet most of us do
> not have the original style cylinder/seal.....
> The rear brakes are self energizing and the wrapping motion of the drum/shoes
> assists in braking, except for the shorter rear shoe which does little work
> when braking under forward motion.
> Bottom line for all this,
> Its a pain in the butt to adjust these brakes when U start from ground zero.
> U gotta have a manual and lots of patience. Yes U will readjust them several
> times (even the manual says this bottom of p 35 in a box) but when its all
> RIGHT they work super.
> At this point I can (simply) adjust my brakes [ 'take em up' ] just with a big
> open end wrench. I would guess unless we use our finned friend as a daily
> driver we need to only do this major adjustment once in the life of our car?
> (short of leakng cylinders from winter storage...) And when U use that slot
> your wheels will NOT be on the car unless your wheel style allows U to sneak a
> feeler guage thru one of the large slots that exist in our fabricated wheels.
> Patience and Rotsa Ruck!
> Lars
|
|
Back to the Home of the Forward Look Network