rear brake track how do you check it

[kwisor]

hello
I am working on my brakes i am gett ready to put on a flat head ted kit. I want to check the rear roller to be sure it is good before i install it. what do you look for to see if they need replaced?
thank you
kevin

 

[Conaway2]

Remove the two short brake shoe springs so you can move both brake shoes out of the way in order to inspect the roller track. It will look sort of like a ‘T’, and arms that the heads of the roller pins slide on should be flat/straight - no gouges or irregularities. Replace them if they are gouged from use.

 

[GeneBob]

Here is a sketch for a tool that I made to check the roller tracks. You can print it our and cut out the profile. Hold the top edge against the brake spring posts and the line for the "FORNT" or "REAR" is where the track should be.



You may want to use card stock to get a little more stiffness. As stated already, the tracks should be straight without notches. The rear tracks are at a slightly different location than the front, hence the two lines. Many tracks have been repaired over the years with welds to fill in the low spots. These are usable if ground smooth and straight at the correct height.



The Ted's kit allows for the tracks to be at a slightly worn location by using the differing offset of the square head on the kit pins.

 

[kwisor]

Thank you Genebob and Conaway 2
That is very helpful. i will check it when i get the brakes off
Kevin

 

[Y-Blockhead]

Here is a sketch for a tool that I made to check the roller tracks. You can print it our and cut out the profile. Hold the top edge against the brake spring posts and the line for the "FORNT" or "REAR" is where the track should be.

You may want to use card stock to get a little more stiffness. As stated already, the tracks should be straight without notches. The rear tracks are at a slightly different location than the front, hence the two lines. Many tracks have been repaired over the years with welds to fill in the low spots. These are usable if ground smooth and straight at the correct height.

The Ted's kit allows for the tracks to be at a slightly worn location by using the differing offset of the square head on the kit pins.

Nice tool GeneBob. I enjoy seeing tools people make.

I made a similar tool when I installed my FHT brake kit. Since the front tracks are not used with the FHT kit I only made a tool for the rear. My rear tracks were somewhat worn so I ran a bead along them and cut them to specs. Since the front tracks are not used with the FHT kit I only made a tool for the rear.

 

[Conaway2]

If you do need to replace them, it’s fairly easy to do. I recently replaced all roller tracks on my car using 2 kits available from the suppliers. These kits contain 2 roller tracks, 4 rivets and a small to use in installation of the rivets to hold the roller tracks in.

After removing the backing plates, I used a side-wheel grinder to remove the old rivet heads. I ground about 1/8” off the new rivets before installing them. With the new rivets in place holding the new roller tracks in, I used a MAPP torch to heat the shank of the new rivets red-hot, and then used a 16 oz ball-pein hammer to round the new rivet heads. The small tool that comes with the kit holds protects the spring end of the rivet from damage while the rivets are installed.