1940 Ford Brake Shoes:

40ford

40ford

Well-known member
On a stock 1940 Ford,can someone please tell me on the brake shoes does the long shoe go in front or back on backing plate?I am getting mixed info on this.I presume they are Lockheed brakes?here is photo of what I have now.This is drivers side rear.
BRAKE SHOES.jpg
 
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Long brake shoe to the front, also larger size brake cylinder to the front. Looks like photo is missing the link for the hand brake from the rear lever to the front shoe.
 
Terry said:
Long brake shoe to the front, also larger size brake cylinder to the front. Looks like photo is missing the link for the hand brake from the rear lever to the front shoe.
Click to expand...
Terry I had taken that off to get to spring,so are you saying this set-up is wrong?Can I just switch them around?
 
I can not tell from your photo which shoe is in the front and rear. I understand the brakes are nearly new so putting the long shoe forward, on each backing plate and shorter shoe to the rear is very possible.
 
40ford: Here's the way the left rear (driver side) is assembled on a 40 Ford.
Longer shoe on the front. Larger dia. wheel cylinder dia. to the front. Shorter shoe to the rear. These are Lockheed brakes.

If they were Bendix style brakes the longer shoe would be on the rear, the shorter shoe on the front and the larger dia. of the wheel cylinder would be facing towards the rear.

I includeded brake adjustment info.
 

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!9Forty does it appear to you I have Lockheed brakes and the shoes are wrong on my photo?What difference would it make?
 
Yes, your photo shows that you have Lockheed style brakes. However the shoes are backwards with the long to the rear and the shorter shoe to the front. It should be just the opposite. I am not a mechanical engineer but I have always been told that Bendix brakes are better than lockheed because the Bendix is more efficient because it is "self energizing" and provides much better stopping power than the Lockheed when the brake pedal is depressed.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=245506&showall=1

Here's a video that explains the difference between Bendix (self energizing) and Lockheed brakes and why the long shoe goes on the rear when using Bendix brakes. Notice that the shoes in the video are on bacwards. Video quality is poor but, operation is explained well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0OFhyxo4As

The last photo (below) shows the Passenger Side rear brake set up when Bendix brakes replace the stock Lockheed brakes on a 40 Ford. Notice the long shoe is on the rear and the short shoe is on the front.
 

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Thanks 19Fordy,I have a better understanding now.Looks like this brake job is all screwed up!
 
shoes around the wrong way will give you low stopping power & high wear as the short lining is doing most of the heavy lifting
 
aussie merc said:
shoes around the wrong way will give you low stopping power & high wear as the short lining is doing most of the heavy lifting
Click to expand...

Sorry to keep beating this horse to death but the shoes are backwards and that puts the large end of cylinder towards the small shoe??So does this create a problem with the braking abilities also?
 
YES. The large dia. of each wheel cylinder MUST face forward toward the longer brake shoe to achieve obtain maximum braking force so you stop better.
The first photo shows the correct set up for the LEFT Front (driver side) brakes. The second photo shows the correct set up for the Left Side Rear Brake (driver side)

Notice the large dia. of each wheel cylinder faces toward the longer brake shoe on the front of each wheel. Click on each photo to enlarge.
 

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Just curious about the ends on the wheel cylinder,is the slot suppose to line up with shoe bracket?One of mine was and the other end was not?
BRAKE CYLINDER.jpg
BRAKE CYLINDER 2.jpg
 
All you have to do is place a small flat blade screwdrive into the slot and turn it to match the position of the shoe. The person who assembles your wheel cylinder doesn't try to get the slots in the correct " shoe matching" position as they know the installer will make the correction. Place a drop of brake fluid on the metal piston to make it slide and turn nice and easy.

Be sure to apply a drop or two of brake fluid to all threaded lines that go to the wheel cylinders AND start screwing in the brake line for each wheel cylinder while the wheel cylinder is loose in the backing plate. DON'T TIGHTEN DOWN THE WHEEL CYLINDER AND THEN TRY TO THREAD IN THE BRAKE LINE. Watch this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8k5GfTpZr4

Don't overtighten the wheel cylinder bolts causing them to snap off.
 
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That is the way the cylinder was when I took it off.What kind of issues would this cause if one side was not set correctly?
 
40ford said:
On a stock 1940 Ford,can someone please tell me on the brake shoes does the long shoe go in front or back on backing plate?I am getting mixed info on this.I presume they are Lockheed brakes?here is photo of what I have now.This is drivers side rear.
View attachment 488276
Click to expand...


Yup, this left, rear is wrong. LONG lining should face FRONT, and SHORT lining faces REAR. Just swap positions with those two shoes. Wheel cylinder should have LARGE end facing FORWARD. Coop


488276
 
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