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Rear Brake adjustment

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danielnorton

danielnorton

Senior Member
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So when I bought my 67 sprite the PO said he had installed new brakes in the rear, but they needed to be adjusted.

Just went to do it (got the special tool and everything /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

The adjustment screws on both wheels are so rusted that even with vice grips I can't turn them, so I'm figuring I'll need to replace the adjustment screws (BTW the brake pads are brand new)

Is there any trick to get these adjusted with the adjustment screw stuck.
 
PB Blaster is the answer, take them apart and clean it all up, otherwise you are not getting anywhere. No tricks, just need to be unstuck! They need to be adjusted, anything less is dangerous!
 
second that nope! what i found in most cases with my 67 was that when things needed adjusted, it just lead to rebuilding and replacing. unless someone did that before you, expect the worst.
 
And if you do free them up, they rarely wear so if they are unstuck, they are fine. They come out from the outboard side of the brake back plate. Like from the brake shoe side.
Try a torch (mapp gas) and heat it up cherry red.
 
The metal of the adjuster is so rusted, it's just crumbling when I try and turn it. So I guess I wait for the new parts to come before I move forward. The brake shoes and drums are all pretty new and the hydrolics have been rebuilt recently, I think the PO got together all the stuff to rebuild the brakes, but when he got to adjust them found he would need to replace those parts and just left it for another day, then never got to it. He was driving with thte E-brake up 3 clicks.
 
Daniel, the only way to remove the adjusters, if they are truly as bad as you indicate, is going to be removal of the backing plates entirely, and using heat to free them up. Once you get them out, be sure to chase the threads in the plate with a tap, and lubricate the new adjusters with some lithium grease, or anti-sieze compound.
Jeff
 
Bugeye58, do you know off hand what sized tap I'll need? I want to order all the parts I might need now so that I can get the whole thing done in one weekend (the car is out of state, so I have to keep going back and forth to work on it)
 
"""""Bugeye58, do you know off hand what sized tap I'll need? """

I cant remember 4 sure and I have no backing plates with me to check...but I think the thread is UN common....like NEF (extra fine).

The adjusters are still avail at Moss .....if you can get a square socket or 6 point socket and work the adjuster back and forth .....or as you say it crumbles and get it out of the hole on both sides then order 3 new ones and slit one so as to make a thread chaser. IF the adjustes arethat rusted you prolly will have backing plate pobs also.
 
Well, that sounds like my best bet. I'll need to use the vice grips to turn it I guess as my brake adjuster tool just spins around now as the edges are all rounded. I'm thinking/hoping that heat will do the trick and get them out, then I'll try and use a 3rd adjuster to tap it.

I don't see the backing plate as an available item from moss, is this something I'd need to find on another car?
 
Another great winter project where a week down really isn't a big thing. Good luck.........
 
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