Another '39-'42 rear double adjustment brake question

A

acchaplin

Senior Member
Reading the upper and lower shoe adjustment procedure, I am confused by two statements.

Which do I adjust first? The upper or the lower cam adjustments?

2nd,,,,,,. How in the hell, do I apply 25-35 pounds of pressure to the brake pedal to adjust the lower, and then the parking brake as the directions state?

I tried placing (wooden wedges, bungie cord tieing it in place, and all kinds of Rube Goldberg gagetry to hold the scales in place) a set of bathroom scales behin d the round pedal part. To get 20 pounds of force on the brake pedal, I'm literly standing on the pedal. That can't be right! Lock up the brakes just to adjust them?

Thanks
 
Read here a post by 19Fordy (and others) telling how to adjust brakes following the procedure outlined in the Ford Manual. I used bathroom scale as follows. RELEASE EMERGENCY BRAKE. Place the scale against the lower part of the front seat with a piece of ply wood between the seat and the scale to equalize the pressure. Then cut a 2x4 to fit between the scale and the brake pedal so the scale reads 35 lbs. You may have to make some practice cuts until you get the length correct. You may also have to saw a taper on the end of the 2x4 so it doesn't slip off the brake pedal pad. Then adjust your brakes. As per instructions, you set the lower cam adjustments first so that the 2 dots are facing inside toward each other. Then proceed.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279515&highlight=ADJUST+1940+FORD+BRAKES
 
Not to argue with the factory procedure, but get a helper to press enough on the pedal to lock the wheels lightly. Adjust the lowers til you feel resistance on a short wrench. Release the pedal and see if the brake drags. If so back lowers off just until wheel turns free, than adjust uppers without pressing on the pedal. Wheels should turn with just a light scraping of the shoes...no resistance.
Works perfectly on my '41 Merc Lockheed brakes.
 
Here are a couple of links that I made about adjusting and the 25lbs. 25lbs is purely subjective IMHO. The point is to apply a reasonably good force like you would apply with your leg.


Adjustment, https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2303723&postcount=22


applying the brake force, https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2303948&postcount=26


I made one from a 2X4 and scraps plus an old sock or two to protect the seat, patent pending :-)


I also use it at times after I've bled my brakes, leaving it in place overnight so most errant air bubbles work their way back to my master cylinder. I do the same on my motorcycles by wrapping the brake lever to the grip.


540320

540321
 
19Fordy said:
Read here a post by 19Fordy (and others) telling how to adjust brakes following the procedure outlined in the Ford Manual. I used bathroom scale as follows. RELEASE EMERGENCY BRAKE. Place the scale against the lower part of the front seat with a piece of ply wood between the seat and the scale to equalize the pressure. Then cut a 2x4 to fit between the scale and the brake pedal so the scale reads 35 lbs. You may have to make some practice cuts until you get the length correct. You may also have to saw a taper on the end of the 2x4 so it doesn't slip off the brake pedal pad. Then adjust your brakes. As per instructions, you set the lower cam adjustments first so that the 2 dots are facing inside toward each other. Then proceed.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279515&highlight=ADJUST+1940+FORD+BRAKES
Click to expand...

Glad you thought of that. I was trying to place the scales "Under" the pedal. Never thought of using a Length of rod "Between" the pedal and scales! I guess that is why you make the "Big Bucks"

Wonder why ol Henry came up with such a weird brake adjustment procedure? (Maybe he had just "got him some" from his mistress)

If I hadn't got everything all powder coated, polished, machined and blinged up, I would have swapped those rear brake assemblies out for something later. I dind't think that there would have been a "Rube Goldberg" conglomeration required for those double adjusters.

Yes, the adjustment procedure I have must have been copied out that service manual that was posted, for it is identical.

Got it. Bottom adjusters first, then top. Glad I only have two brake assemblies like that and not four.

Thanks
 
These were the survivors :D


... and Jim they must be size 11 or it won't work.


I do have a deluxe model though since you don't care for the look of the economy. The Deluxe has high density foam padding covered with blue velour, the "Elvis Model"



Glenn
 
"Wonder why ol Henry came up with such a weird brake adjustment procedure?"

Yeah, I don't get the purpose of this complicated procedure. The top of the shoe needs to be against the drum while adjusting the lower cam to center the shoe in the drum. But the top of the shoe can be held against the drum by turning the upper cam. So much simpler!
 
I have always preferred the earlier ('39-'41) brake systems precisely because of the extra flexibility of the "two adjustment point" design. It just seems better to me.

Why the complex adjustment procedures? I dunno, but have learned a long time agio that those Ford engineers knew what they were doing.
 
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