Special Coupe Frank
Well-known member
Decided to do some brake work on the '28 tonight.
Last time I adjusted them, it seemed as though the RF really wasn't doing too much, and the operating lever was somewhere between vertical and slightly rear-ward when the slack was taken out of it...
I had ordered two new front brake pins, two packs of brake "pills", and two rear cams from Bratton's a few weeks ago.
Pulled the RF drum, and found the wedge bolt loose (but cotter-pinned), the wedge and washers caked with sticky old grease, as were the rollers.
I pulled the springs and shoes off, and removed the pins and rollers.
Cleaned and wire-wheeled everything, gave the bearing / sliding metal surfaces a very light smear of grease, and installed the new pin, wedge, shoes, etc.
I still wasn't getting the operating lever to pitch-forward 15* when the shoes were retracted, so I had to add one "pill". That helped.
Put all back together, put the drum on, and took-up on the adjusting wedge quite a bit.
I drove the car a bit, tweaking the front adjusters, and after about three stops, I had firm, high pedal, and fairly effective braking. I ran out of daylight before I could do all four wheels.
It's still not up to factory performance; the tracks are quite worn, as are the steel drums... I'm sure the shaft bushings are shot too...
But getting rid of most of that lost motion in the RF brake pin / linkage made a huge improvement...
A little "slop" at each wheel / brake can add-up to poor or no brakes...
Last time I adjusted them, it seemed as though the RF really wasn't doing too much, and the operating lever was somewhere between vertical and slightly rear-ward when the slack was taken out of it...
I had ordered two new front brake pins, two packs of brake "pills", and two rear cams from Bratton's a few weeks ago.
Pulled the RF drum, and found the wedge bolt loose (but cotter-pinned), the wedge and washers caked with sticky old grease, as were the rollers.
I pulled the springs and shoes off, and removed the pins and rollers.
Cleaned and wire-wheeled everything, gave the bearing / sliding metal surfaces a very light smear of grease, and installed the new pin, wedge, shoes, etc.
I still wasn't getting the operating lever to pitch-forward 15* when the shoes were retracted, so I had to add one "pill". That helped.
Put all back together, put the drum on, and took-up on the adjusting wedge quite a bit.
I drove the car a bit, tweaking the front adjusters, and after about three stops, I had firm, high pedal, and fairly effective braking. I ran out of daylight before I could do all four wheels.
It's still not up to factory performance; the tracks are quite worn, as are the steel drums... I'm sure the shaft bushings are shot too...
But getting rid of most of that lost motion in the RF brake pin / linkage made a huge improvement...
A little "slop" at each wheel / brake can add-up to poor or no brakes...
