Backing plate bolts too long?

Zephyr4

Zephyr4

Member
I'm putting my rear brakes back together and I'm finding that the backing plate bolts seem to be too long on both sides. The car appears to have been in a barn since the 60s until I bought it so I don't know how it rides or anything.

So, maybe something is missing or maybe there are incorrect parts being used.

If I tighten the nuts to just 30 ft lbs the hole for the pins is above the crenellations on the nuts:

20180611_132930.jpg

The bolts are 1 9/16" long and the nut is 5/8" in total length.

20180611_132951.jpg

Do the nuts and bolts look correct? Am I missing a washer somewhere?

I've looked at the exploded view in the Snyder's catalogue and can't see anything I'm missing.

Can I safely add a thick washer under the nut?

(This is a '31 Tudor.)
 
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Wouldn't it be just as easy to place a proper sized flat washer on the bolt before you insert it in the axle housing flange? The washer can be gotten very easily at any hardware store.

Sofield
 
The bolts have shoulder to locate the backing plate securely and that doesn't protrude very far through the axle flanges, so the washer can't really go under the head of the bolt. The way the baffle is shaped you probably wouldn't get a normal sized washer directly under the nut. If you put the washer between the backing plate and the e brake assembly, that would space the e brake too far into the drum I think. So the only place left is between the baffle and the e brake assembly/carrier.
 
I think what you said is what people are doing when the bolts are too long. A regular lock washer would probably be OK.

Rusty Nelson
 
I just went through this same thing as you can see from my post linked above. I used Tom Endy's great instructions and it worked perfectly. I found that I needed a little different thickness for the washers from what he has listed on his pdf, but I talked to him and he said it varies. Thanks again Tom!
 
The only 7/16" washer I had were spring washers, so I tried them behind the baffle and it's worked perfectly. Thanks for the help.

When I embarked on this little adventure, several people told me that model As are such simple old things that I'd have the car up and running in no time. They were all wrong!
 
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