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
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