Ford brake adjustment

[jaybee]

Within the next few days I'll be changing rear brakes on a '53 Ford.  It'll be a full boat job with new hard lines, wheel cylinders, shoes, and springs.  Nothing I haven't seen before except I've never done a brake job on a car without self adjusters.

Can someone fill me in on the procedure for initial adjustment on a car with manual brake adjusters?

[40_Tudor]

Turn the adjuster out while turning the wheel until it gets hard to turn but you can still turn it. Back the adjuster back in until the shoes barley rub and count how many turn you turn it in. Do the same to the other side. Its been awhile but that's who we used to do it at the shop I worked at.
Hope that helps.

[enjenjo]

Converting manual adjusters to later model auto-adjuster brakes

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Use Wagner #283 shoes, drilled for the self adjuster mechanism, use Wagner self adjuster kit F98370/1, and wagner Combikit F87351. That should supply all the parts you need. These parts are listed for a F100 with 11" by 1 3/4" brakes.

[jaybee]

Thanks, guys.  I'll suggest this conversion to the owner.  He's a retired guy who's no longer fit to do a lot of work on his cars and actually is having trouble finding someone to do these brakes.  So he understands what's going on and has done it before.  

He might very well be receptive to this.  When we had our first conversation about his need to get these brakes done he told me a story about an old Chevy he owned in the days when cars in Iowa had to be inspected periodically.  That was before my time, I don't remember this at all though I do remember cars with Nebraska plates once requiring a window sticker that would indicate current inspection status.  Anyway, part of the inspection was to drive toward a set location and stop within a specified zone.  He entered the stop zone with an out of adjustment brake, locked a wheel and stopped sideways...inside the building and right next to the inspector!!  

He failed the inspection that day.

[wayne petty]

since not every parts store sells wagner.


http://www.ibicarlson.com/fmsi.php

one might really want this link above in their book marks..

as you can punch in the FMSI pad number or shoe number and come up with the proper brake hardware numbers...



these are carlson brake hardware part numbers..

283 Shoe No.
http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/epa/283R/image/4/

Ford  car...
H7144 All-In-One Kit

http://images.whisystems.com/smartpages/partinfo_resize/CRL/H7144.jpg

H2540/41 Adj. Kit

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


283 Shoe No.
Ford Trk.
H7225 All-In-One Kit
http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/ibi/H7225/image/4/

H2540/41 Adj. Kit

http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/ibi/H2540/image/4/

http://contentinfo.autozone.com/znetcs/product-info/en/US/ibi/H2541/image/4/

[jaybee]

Owner decided to take the auto adjusters under advisement.  Front linings were soaked with brake fluid, so much that on the LF the lining material was disintegrating.  Front hard lines and all the flex lines cooperated instead of being locked into a solid block of iron oxide.

Turns out he's a really interesting person...raced and hot rodded from way back and now his health just won't allow him to get down on the ground, bend or stand for long.  So he sat in his wheelchair telling stories all day.  Great stories, no pressure or grumpiness even when I tried to install the first wheel cylinder onto the wrong wheel.  He didn't tell me, I recognized that the flex line wasn't hooking up properly and told him.

Then at a point he says "have you looked in the next room?"  I knew that's where the air compressor was, had no idea what else might be in there.  Turned out it's an old Dreyer-bodied Sprint car with flathead wearing Thickstun cylinder head covers and wire wheels.  Turns out he restored the car himself before he became ill.  It was a mess, to, with a sbc and both body and frame altered dramatically to accommodate an incorrect rear end, the sbc, and roll cage.  Now it's a period-correct beauty in red and gold.

[taxpyer]

Try to get him to join the RRT.  I bet he would really enjoy this forum alot espeacialy if he is unable to do alot of physical work.

Just a thought.

By the way ,,, good on ya for helping the guy out. );b(

[wayne petty]

i knew i forgot something...

truck brakes...

red high temp silicone sealer/RTV .. on the ends of the springs where they hook through the shoe web..  ... this prevents them .. since they are on for a long long time..  from eventually  breaking and falling beneath the shoes and tearing up the drums..

i try to use new spring kits on all the long term brake jobs i do.. and use the silicone on the ends.. i really don't like having to stop half way someplace and take a wheel and drum off..