Brake reassembly

[Doug L.]

Hi Guys,
I recently purchased new shoes and drums for my '64. I took some photos of the old stuff after I removed the drums and before I disassembled the shoes, springs, etc. Now I'm ready to install the new stuff but there are no diagrams or descriptions in either the shop manual or the AIM. I did a search on the TD forum but found nothing there either. I imagine I can get things back together based on the photos, but I would feel better if I had an illustrated guide to follow. Does anyone know of a source for such information?

Thanks-Doug

[Daniel K.]

Re: Brake reassembly

Doug,

This is a bit "Shade Tree" but I did use a couple of carpenter squares and clamped them together to get the brake shoes very close to the diameter of the newly turned drums. This actually worked very well with very little adjusting there after. Car stops straight and on a dime.

[Chuck S.]

Re: Brake reassembly

I haven't done drum brakes in a LOOOONNG time, but my recall is there is hardly any way you can screw this up if you have photos of how the parts were prior to disassembly.

My old 66 service manual has photos of the brake shoe/back plate assembly. Combining the 66 CSM photos with ancient recall, it goes something like this:

1. Assemble one wheel pair of brake shoes with the star adjustment link and spring at the bottoms of the shoes. Make sure adjustment links are marked appropriately for side of the car where it's being installed; i.e "L" or "R" (Hint: "L"= driver side).

2. (This and following steps may require three hands or ingenious clamping for successful completion. ) Hold the shoe assembly loosely in position on the back plate with the top ends of the shoes behind the lug on the top center post and wheel cylinder piston links engaging the brake shoes. Install the hold down pin/spring/retainer assembly in the front or primary shoe.

3. Install the adjuster assembly, small bottom spring, and wire link on the secondary shoe while continuing to hold everything in position. Hooked end of wire link goes over top center post outside of lug. Install the hold down pin/spring/retainer in the secondary or rear shoe. Install the secondary shoe retract spring over the hooked end of the adjuster wire link. Install the large adjuster spring.

4. Install the retract spring for the primary (front) shoe over the top center post outside of the adjuster wire link.

5. Turn the star wheel adjuster out until the drum just begins to drag when slipped over the shoes.

6. When all wheels have been reassembled, make final brake adjustment in a parking lot or large open area by starting, braking, and backing until brakes are fully adjusted. Don't get going too fast until you figure out if your brakes are working.

Or, something like that...

[Stuart F.]

Re: Brake reassembly

I pretty much followed all the steps Chuck describes a year and a half ago with my 63. I did use Matrix Ceramic shoes as I was attempting to duplicate the operation of the Sintered Metallic shoes I was replacing. I also bought new drums from Eckler's as I was led to believe the metallic shoes would render the original drums unserviceable. Turned out I could not get them adjusted well after assembly, and I had followed all the usual steps. Upon closer inspection, I determined the replacement drums were dimensionally different from the originals, specifically the relationship of the hub mounting surface to the drum friction surface which then did not allow the shoes to seat properly in the drums. In fact, the drum flange did not even fit tight to the backing plate, rather left a gap. They also did not have the grooves for the anti-chatter springs.

I ended up having to re-cut my original drums which were actually not all that bad. Then too, I found they needed to be replaced on the hubs exactly as they were removed. There is a hole with a tab in it that leaves an imprint on the hub. Once I matched those to the proper position and hub, they adjusted very well and have operated very well since. It did take the linings about 400 to 500 miles to really seat in well, but they now perform near equal to the old metal brakes, only better when cold. Granted, I don't expect equal stopping and fade resistance from them primarily because I seldom drive the car hard enough to test those concerns anymore.

Check to make sure your drums fit right. Perhaps a similar problem does not happen with standard brakes.

Stu Fox

[Doug L.]

Re: Brake reassembly

Hi Guys,
Thanks for all your tips. My immediate problem is that I don't have photos of the rear brakes, which are different from the front, at least in terms of the emergency brake lever. I am installing Matrix Ceramic shoes and am also using their drums. The kits have springs (for attaching the shoes to the back-plate) of different colors but if the original springs were painted, the paint was long gone by the time I pulled things apart. The Matrix color code does me no good and there is no legend with their kit to identify one spring from another. The basic difference between these hold-down springs seems to be their length and a plan-view photo showing the face of the back-plate doesn't show what is behind the web of the shoe.

What I need are photos of rear brake installation on a preferably '64, but maybe any Vette drum-brake setup would get me on the right track. Did any of you take photos of your old or new brake job.

I know, I should have done a much better job of documenting it.
Doug

[Mike M.]

Re: Brake reassembly

i believe there is an illustration in a 1963 Motor Manual(the blue book). mike

[John H.]

Re: Brake reassembly

What I need are photos of rear brake installation on a preferably '64, but maybe any Vette drum-brake setup would get me on the right track. Doug

Doug -

Here are a couple of file photos of '64 RH and LH rear brakes; don't recall where I got them.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Brake reassembly

Doug;

If you got the drums from "Praise Dyno Brake Co,", you should be in good shape in that regard. If you still have a problem identifying spring color codes, give them a call. They are usually very helpful. That said, you probably have what you need with the photos from John's file.

The numbers I have for the vendor are (972)-636-2722 and (877)-606-7867.

I had a problem with some of the adjusters were the wrong ones in my kit which they quickly rectified.

Stu Fox