Garbage truck brakes

Rainmaker Ron

Rainmaker Ron

Senior Member
You know, the kind that make a horrible noise when stopping at low speed. My pick-up makes that shuddering sound when the brake is applied lightly at low speed while making a slight turn either forward or reverse. Other than the sound the brakes work very well on the all stock system. It has woven linings. The truck is driven regularly and has 4000 miles since restored. If you have found the cause and remedy for this problem, please share it. One of our club members has the same thing and grinding grooves on the linings did not help.

TIA Rainmaker
 

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Ron, I've had good success by lubing EVERY metal to metal contact in the brake system with an acid brush & Ol' white Lubriplate. A quality disc brake lubricant is EVEN better. ALL brakes set up high frequencies & a metal to metal contact just gives them a place to "sound off"----Like a HIGH "C" note--Like, SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!! Bill W.
(Think of it like this: Iffin' you put Lubriplate on your VIOLIN bow, it wouldn't make nary a sound!!)
During grammar school, Chief drove a small CORK down inside my TRUMPET!
 
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Ron
I can not answer your question. I'm sorry
But that one cool looking pickup:)
I'm going to have to "search" you now so I can learn about it
 
often that shudder sound occurs when the front wheel bearings are slightly loose, especially on turns. It can also happen if the lining is not tightly riveted to the shoe or when the shoes are not making even contact.
 
ron see if you can isolate which wheel is making the noise, maybe by having someone stand next to the car while you reproduce it then attack that wheel with all the suggestions. try and use a synthetic brake caliper grease over the old school lubriplate as it tends to dry out over time.
 
I was a truck mechanic for 20 years and a remedy we used to quiet squeaking brakes was to tightly wrap a screen-door spring around the outside of the drums. This squelched the vibrations, and quieted them. The spring must fit tightly.
 
Rainmaker Ron said:
You know, the kind that make a horrible noise when stopping at low speed. My pick-up makes that shuddering sound when the brake is applied lightly at low speed while making a slight turn either forward or reverse. Other than the sound the brakes work very well on the all stock system. It has woven linings. The truck is driven regularly and has 4000 miles since restored. If you have found the cause and remedy for this problem, please share it. One of our club members has the same thing and grinding grooves on the linings did not help.

TIA Rainmaker
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I'm having the same problem. I remove the hub on the front, because of a noisy wheel bearing. I found the drum was glazed, ruffed it up, but have not done the other side yet. Mine was the front wheels that was making noise. Will let you know when the other side gets done.
 
Every garbage truck I ever drove, and I have drove many when I was a garbage truck driver, had good air brakes that would stop the truck. Why are garbage truck brakes a bad thing?
 
About 50 years ago a friend of mine who was the Dodge/Chrysler shop foreman told me that Chrysler had sent out a bulletin for squeaky brakes on their cars and it was to pull the brake drum and put a spoon full of dry cement in each wheel. I never tried it, "I always drove Fords".
 
I have the same issue with my AA. I think maybe it is because the brake shoes are misaligned (crooked in the direction of travel of the wheel). Maybe this is caused by worn pins (for the rollers) or mismatched shoes. Just my guess.
 
I have this problem though more so on harder braking. Though the drums and lining are relatively new, they soon became glazed. I abraded both and it was quiet. Not a long time after the noise started again. I think this was brought up on fordbarn not too long ago with several different solutions, including the cross cutting of lining. I Googled the issue and it appears that it happens to many other vehicles. One site mentioned a harmonic vibration was the cause and one solution was the spring as Jim Brierley posted above. Another which I am considering is a tightly wrapped "rubber band", again to absorb the vibration.
 
Are the leading and trailing edges of the shoes chamfered??
Paul in CT

Come on Ron, you said you were the guy others go to as a last resort.
 
1931 flamingo said:
Are the leading and trailing edges of the shoes chamfered??
Paul in CT

Come on Ron, you said you were the guy others go to as a last resort.
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I hear you Paul! The fact is that every original idea we have is based on something or two somethings lurking in our memory. The helpful ideas offered here will likely lead me to the solution. None of us are as smart as all of us.
Thanks, Ron
 
Hi Ron,

Just have a hunch that a person I spoke to a few times & who does, & has been doing Model A brake work every day, all day for years, would have several brake remedy comments you might want to consider.

You probably already heard of Mr. Mel Gross in CA at phone no. (323) 728-5712.

In my opinion, after speaking to Mr. Gross, you will agree that as far as Model A brakes, some guys have deep thoughts, some guys have suggestions, some guys even have strong opinions; however, appears Mr. Gross with his years of brake experiences has strong straight forward "convictions".

A true American Patriot of strong unbending character that true Americans should admire -- not many like him left in 2013 -- he will have an answer!

Hope this helps.
 
It seems to always be the front brakes that cause the problem. I use screen door springs on my front drums. The springs draw a lot of comments but help, still not always a cure.
 
Purdy Swoft said:
It seems to always be the front brakes that cause the problem. I use screen door springs on my front drums. The springs draw a lot of comments but help, still not always a cure.
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I saw the front brakes on a club member's car the other day and he had brake bands with door springs in the bands.:) I suspect it was mostly to help with cooling the brakes.
 
The spring is to get rid of harmonics. Chrysler product cars and Ford trucks both used springs on the brake drums for that reason. I find that the springs help but doesn't always completely solve the problem. Actually reinforceing bands have a cooling effect because of the fins on the sides.
 
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