63 drum brakes dragging

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 drum brakes dragging

Interesting about the metal coloring; I recall descending from Pike's Peak in bro-in-laws Ford explorer and about 1/2 way down there is a checkpoint where a person tests your brake temps with an I/R gun. I think 500* means they made you pull over for a cool down, but its been a long time ago and can't swear to it. I think the drum is fine.

I just feel a bit neglectful that I hadn't notice the parking brake being so bad - but in the flatlands of Central Florida you hardly need it.

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 drum brakes dragging

Well - I zip-tied the parking brake cable into the broken equalizer temporarily until my new Zip equalizer arrives and did a 10 mile test run - no more symptoms, no temp difference on right rear, no pulling to the right after the brakes warm up and after the car sits, with the parking brake off out of gear, I can still rock it back and forth with a slight push. And now the parking brake actually works !

When the new part arrives I'll do a highway test.

For those who asked via PM, the repro CC 1963 rear cables were both spot on fits length-wise; the only substantial difference from original is that there are hexhead nuts just to the rear of the "fingers" on each end and not rounded pieces like the originals...

I reused the original rubber grommets in the front crossmember; the repro grommets are just unacceptable.

[Harry S.]

Re: 63 drum brakes dragging

Since this thread has to do with weird brake problems....

Just passing along another weird solution that I had been fighting all summer. I would have never found this or fixed this on my four post lift.

With some professional help, The Bowtie Shop, and a two-post lift, we found that the left rear backing plate came loose. The slightest touch of the brake pedal moved everything there and it locked the wheel up.

Tightened everything up, bled the brakes, swapped rear drums and adjusted the shoes and now it stops straight without touching the steering wheel.

How the heck does a backing plate come loose after 8 years???

[Richard M.]

Re: 63 drum brakes dragging

Since this thread has to do with weird brake problems....

Just passing along another weird solution that I had been fighting all summer. I would have never found this or fixed this on my four post lift.

With some professional help and a two-post lift, we found that the left rear backing plate came loose. The slightest touch of the brake pedal moved everything there and it locked the wheel up.

Tightened everything up, bled the brakes, swapped rear drums and adjusted the shoes and now it stops straight without touching the steering wheel.

How the heck does a backing plate come loose after 8 years???

Good find Harry.

The only possibilities I can think of, since I'm certain that you made sure you torqued the bolts when you did the work 8 years ago.....

.... is some weird issue related to the self adjusters. As we know you must reverse to activate them. This would put a rotational reverse load on the backing plate. Then you go forward and hit the brakes and now the rotational load is the opposite. Maybe too many times?


.... or that the holes in the backing plate for the bolts are slightly ovalled thus exacerbating the rotational movement to a point where the bolts
loosened.

.... or BOTH.

Rich

[Harry S.]

Re: 63 drum brakes dragging

Good find Harry.

The only possibilities I can think of, since I'm certain that you made sure you torqued the bolts when you did the work 8 years ago.....

.... is some weird issue related to the self adjusters. As we know you must reverse to activate them. This would put a rotational reverse load on the backing plate. Then you go forward and hit the brakes and now the rotational load is the opposite. Maybe too many times?


.... or that the holes in the backing plate for the bolts are slightly ovalled thus exacerbating the rotational movement to a point where the bolts
loosened.

.... or BOTH.

Rich

The holes were OK. We had a backing plate ready to mount if they were out of round.

[Frank D.]

Re: 63 drum brakes dragging

That's one for the memory banks Harry, when I was fighting my dragging brake I never thought to check those backing plate nuts; I'll have to do that just for "peace of mind" now...

Unlike a leaking wheel cylinder, etc., this issue prob obviated a reliable use of the parking brake in an emergency... a bit scary...