1940 rear brakes

farmerdick

farmerdick

Senior Member
Just installed new shoes and drums on `40 rear end. The anchor pins are where there supposed to be(dots facing each other) and upper cams are as shallow as they can be(allowing the shoes to come in as far as they can). Problem is the drums are still very tight and hard to turn. This is my first experience with this brake system. I was thinking of having the drums turned. I`am not sure if my local machine shop can arch the shoes to the drums. Any suggestions?
thanks
Richard
 
DON'T TURN THE DRUMS. It is best to have all the meat on the drums that you can. It may turn out that your local machine can't even turn the drums as they take a special adapter, don't let them tell you that you need to remove the drums from the hubs to turn them. Contact the place you bought the shoes and maybe they can arc them. Call your local Model A and Early V8 clubs and ask who can arc shoes in your area. Worst case ship the shoes to someone to be arced. They won't need the drums just their diameter. A lot of people will tell you that it is illegal to arc shoes. The truth is it illegal to arc shoes using machines that have not been modified to collect all of the dust.

Charlie Stephens
 
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try turning the lower adjusting pins, move the dot down or up. this is made to center the shoes in the drum. I am going to assume that you moved the upper spring loaded adjusting bolts to the "off" position?? what instructions do you have to adjust the shoes?
 
Take the drums off and look at the linings to see where they have been rubbing, sometimes putting a slight bevel on the lower edge of the lining takes care of a problem like you are having.
 

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I have the instructions Coopman had the like for and followed them to a "T". I will try turning the anchor pins down a bit. The shoes seem to be rubbing at the top from the top edge of the shoe down about 4 to 5 inches. I did turn the upper cams so that they would let the shoes come in at the top as far as possible. I will keep tweeking them until I find someone to arch the shoes. Thanks again
 
if after adjusting the shoes to the best you can. pull the drum off and cover the shoe surface with chalk--I use chalk for a string box and a rag. put back on and turn the wheel/drum while some one SLOWLY applies the brakes. remove drum and look at shoe to tell where the contact is. I have ground down a few shoes with a wet grinder--flow water over it to cut out dust and do it in a disposable pan so it can be safely dispossed
 
I had the same problem with new shoes and old drums. The new shoes had too much lining on them, not short like the old ones. By saying short I mean the length of lining was longer around the shoe from end to end, the old ones were cut back further from the ends. Like rich b shows in the pic. Al
 
Be sure the return springs are good. When we overhaul early brake systems, we replace all the springs.Return springs for 39-48, 91A2035, are under $5 at C&G (800-266-0470. You do have to trim off about 1/8" from one one of the springs. If the drums don't turn easily when they are in place, the shoes must be made to fit. When the shoes were made of asbestos, the dust was dangerous. Today's linings are made with safer material. We use the chalk used for carpenter snap lines on the linings, then, with the drum in place, turning it will show high points. We bevel the edges to allow the shoes to seat on worn drums. Most brake shop don't arc linings anymore. We carefully use a belt sander for the job.
 
I bought a set from Mac's that the pads were the same length front & back . I called & was told that they were ok . Mine were a little tight also . They do seem to work fine now.
 
farmerdick said:
Just installed new shoes and drums on `40 rear end. The anchor pins are where there supposed to be(dots facing each other) and upper cams are as shallow as they can be(allowing the shoes to come in as far as they can). Problem is the drums are still very tight and hard to turn. This is my first experience with this brake system. I was thinking of having the drums turned. I`am not sure if my local machine shop can arch the shoes to the drums. Any suggestions?
thanks
Richard
Click to expand...

Make sure the emergency brake arm that the cable hooks to is retracted fully, and that should allow clearance if the upper adjuster's and the lower adjuster's are at minimum settings, good luck......
 
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