DRUM BRAKE QUESTIONS

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

In my shiny new brake hardware/spring kit, there are two little 3/4" long 1/2" wide maybe 3/32" thick little "Cs" or "clips" or somesuch with a hair over 1/4" open sides; what are these and where do they go ??

I see nothing that resembles them, nor have I ever seen anything like them on any of the Dana brakes I have had experience with, yet just about every spring kit has them.





On a different subject, still the same rear brakes, I ordered new Wagner "Thermoquiet" (or whatever) 12X3-inch shoes from Rock Auto.

These shoes came with the little brake-adjuster pivot-pins already driven in.

I installed the little cable-guide thingie and the adjuster and spring and headed out to the truck to mount my shiny new shoes.

As I was looking at my greasy old shoes laying there, making sure I had used all the correct holes, it became evident that on the old shoes the extra layer of metal was on the outside, looking at me, when the shoes were mounted.

My new shoes had the adjuster pivot-pins driven in such that their orientation was backwards to the old shoes --- hmmmm --- scratching head.

Perplexing, to say the least; who is to say that the old shoes couldn't have been installed backwards ??

I dug out two more sets of old used shoes and they all had the hardware installed opposite to the new shoes; then again, who is to say that they were also correct, as I always just put them like I found them.


I looked at about a dozen truck sites, searching for a clear picture of properly installed shoes; I thought I would find hundreds of pictures; I only found one very rusty old Dana-60 on Ramchargercentral and it showed the shoes mounted with the extra layer of metal on the visible side.


So, I removed all my new hardware from the new shoes, drove out the factory-driven-in pins, flipped the shoes over, and started over.


So, just to be certain, the extra layer of metal should be on the "show" side of the shoes, facing me, where I can see them, when the shoes are properly mounted on the backing-plates, right ???


A less observant person could screw up.

 

[icanfixall]

Those clips might be for the parking brake lever so it wont fall off the brake shoe. Or thats just some crap they add because its cheaper to leave in whats not needed in a multi use package. Kind of what happens when you buy a gasket set for something. Many times extra gaskets are included for different applications. Cheaper so stock on set that fits al 300 different cars or trucks.

 

[gandalf]

I'll be doing the same job on my '92 CCLB Dually at some point in the not too distant future. Therefore I have some pictures which might help you, but only maybe. It's better to toss them out and fail to help than to hold back what you really need. My shoes are 3.5 inches wide, for whatever difference that may make.

The only "C" thingy I could find in my pictures is plainly visible in the first picture. Is that what you're referring to? I have no idea, but you get to see how dirty a brake drum can be.

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I'm not really sure what you're looking for on the second section, so I'll just throw in a picture of the overall setup. It may help.

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[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

icanfixall is right on count one; as, I have learned that those extra little clip-thingies are used on the F-100s and F-150s, and have no purpose on F-250s and F-350s.


gandalf's second picture clearly shows the second layer of steel plate/reinforcement, located immediately above where the wheel-cylinder rods engage the shoes, is definitely visible on the outside surface; so, whoever at Wagner drove those shiny new pins into the shoes got things backwards.

I wonder how many have bought those same shoes and didn't catch the mistake; I bet some weird things would happen if one tried to use them that way.


Thanks for the help.

 

[gandalf]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. The shoes I have waiting for installation are Wagner.. I'll have to check carefully.

 

[chris142]

Ya that xtra metal goes on the outside. It will make the shoes sit crooked if put on the inside which is how mine were installed when I got my truck. Then they wear crooked. Mine came with the pins in a bag.

 

[FORDF250HDXLT]

only one of mine i could find.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Thanks everyone for the input and pictures.

I just finished the right side = the side that had the park-brake cable broke; and, for the first time since I have owned the truck, everything replaceable from the grease-seal to the axle-flange is brand-new (except the drums --- I couldn't afford the drums and mine don't look that bad anyway).

New wheel-cylinder, shoes, all brake accessories, both races, both bearings, grease-seal, park-brake cable, etc. etc.

I also replaced something I had been meaning to do ever since the first time I saw that stupid nylock bearing-nut; I put brand-new Dorman #05306 HARD-STEEL double nuts and folding-tab lock-washer; no more wheel-bearing wearing a groove in the adjuster-nut for me.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TYON50...UTF8&colid=CV7BFPJA08OD&coliid=I10RP1D2BYOA7D

Rock Auto also has them.

These fit any Dana-60, -70, front or rear, and probably a lot of other applications.

2"-16TPI (I think)

These can be used over and over indefinitely and will never wear out; the folding-tab lock-washer --- about a dollar each --- will make three or more installations before using all the tabs.

Proper method is to adjust the bearing with the first nut, add the lock, then tighten the second nut on top of all this.

No benefit is gained in folding lock tabs over the inner nut; I fold TWO tabs over the outer nut.

One minor glitch I ran into = the tab on the lock that engages the key-way on the spindle was just a hair wide and would not fit; a few careful strokes on each edge of the tab with a triangle-file produced a perfect fit.

I figure the key-ways on the spindles meant for the stupid nylock-nuts must be machined a hair narrower than the good OLD spindles.


Right side ready to go ---- now, I just need another rainless weekend to do the left side.