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Need a Second Opinion

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R

ralph_s

Jedi Trainee
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First the good news, the temp in PA has warmed up and I'm back in the garage. Got the 59 BE back on all 4 wheels after fitting all the rebuilt front/rear suspension and steering rack. Everything fits/looks great. The really good new was the rebuilt rear leaf springs are great. They were a bear to rebuild leaf by leaf, but worth the effort. The graphite coating seems to do the job. Should strip it back down and soda blast the car in ~ 2 weeks depending on the weather.
I've got owner history to 1971, but found a 1967 Fleetwood PA hillclimb plaque buried in the car. The PA hillclimb association has sent me the H class cars from 67 and have a good lead on some add'l history from 67. This is as exciting as working on the car!!
Now my issue. Rebuilt the rear axle assembly and installed new brake shoes. When I put the drums on they go into complete bind!! I've done brakes in the past, but have never experienced this much binding! Got the old shoes out for comaprison and noticed the new shoes are .046" longer per side then the old ones. I measured this at the pivot stop from the end of the shoe to the shoe frame where the lining attaches. Hope the pixs do a better job explaining this!! Has anyone else experienced this or am I trying to rationalize some other problem. My guess is the additional .046" per side is causing my binding issue.
 

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Are you sure that the spacing where the adjuster should be is not wider than stock? Here is a picture under the drum of my car.

Also the material on the shoes I bought do not come all the way to the edge.

IMG_3413.jpg
 
I can get some for you tomorrow, I just redid mine, Is the adjustment thing(not sure what it is called) but the piece between the pads and the cylinder on the bottom, it looks like this can change the placement of the pads tremendously. I have my new shoes installed and the drums fit on there good, just need to get them cleaned up. If no one else gets a picture up today I will get one for tomorrow.

I am not expert on the brakes for the BE but I did just redo mine a couple weeks ago.
 
I'm beginning to think my problem is I put the adjuster in wrong. A pix would be great, thanks.
 
I'm beginning to think my problem is I put the adjuster in wrong. A pix would be great, thanks.

Here's my right brake assembly. I believe the adjuster should be flipped 180 deg.
 

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"I believe the adjuster should be flipped 180 deg."

I believe you are correct. Rotate it 180.
Adjuster very difficult to reach in the current position.
 
It looks to me like your backing plate is in the wrong position. It should be turned 90 degrees counter clockwise, and the wheel cylinder should be flipped 180 in its slot. Adjuster should be on piston side of cylinder, and the piston side of the cylinder should be trailing.

Brian
 
Well just got back from the garage and yep, the adjuster was flipped 180 deg. Made the change and it works just like it should!!!! Checked the left side and it was installed correctly????
I'm chalking this one up to being left handed and somewhat bass ackwards......
Thanks for the comments and help. I'm sure I'll be back as there is no limit to my creativity!!!!
 
Ralph...I'm AT LEAST as creative as you are!! :smile:
 
Boy, that I have never done. But I have done most of the other dumb things.
 
Appreciate the pix, mine fits much better since it looks like that!!!
She landed on all 4 wheels today and she rolls and steers!! The symmetry looks good as both sides and the front/back match. Progress, slow as it might be! But quite satisfying to have it in this condition considering I couldn't move it last year. My goal is to have her move on her own by late fall.
 
Nice, thats a good feeling, I was at that point last summer, fist time in 30 years the car moved on its won. Now just finishing up the brakes and then i am going to disassemble and take it to get the body cleaned/fixed and painted.

Good Luck.

BTW how did you get the master cylinder in the other way, i had a heck of time getting it in the other way.
 
Actually it went in pretty easily, but I had the whole axle assy on the bench w/ lots of room to work on it. Unfortunately the axle was back on the car and it took some effort to get it back off and flipped around. I knew I was in trouble when I put the handbrake assy in place and the right side didn't look like the left side!!
I'm in the same boat w/ my BE as I'll take it apart over the next 2 weeks and then have it soda blasted. I'm planning to have it to the body shop by March 1st. I'm building a 1275 to drop in and will rebuild it this spring. Plan to be on the road by this fall.....well that's the plan!!!!
 
"Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again"
Franklin P. Jones

Now, that is true for sure and boy do I have lots of experience.
 
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