Gotta 1941 Chrysler Windsor,: stock hydraulic drum brakes, new wheel cylinders, new master cylinder, new hoses, turned the drums, bled the brakes. When sits over nite, next morning while driving forward, apply brakes: SUDDENLY left front just UN-expectantly LOCKS UP. Bang!!!! I MEAN LOCKS UP.. Releases instantly tho, put synthetic brake fluid in.. After driving and applying brake slowly, it functions correctly. Next morning SAME SHOW. Read manual, adjusted as directed, same thing happen. Called in expert neighbor, he adjusted with confidence. Does EXACTLY same thing. only the LEFT FRONT.. ANYBODY have advice. Please help.
they are in really good shape to look at, NO did not replace shoes, but cleaned with BRAKE -CLEAN. Replaced front rubber hoses with new. Found new///$$$ and days away,
I'm guessing the rubber brake hoses are probably collapsed,over the past 70 plus years the rubber deteriorates. HRP
If the brake shoes had brake fluid on them it would take replacing them. Don't think you could ever get the brake fluid out of them.
Just for something to try switch the front shoes from side to side and see if it locks up the other wheel.
If you are using silicone based brake fluid, and some of that gets on the friction material, you end up with no braking action on that side (in your case the right front). Just because you installed new wheel cylinders does not mean that they were assembled correctly - the left side could be seeping. To properly diagnose, remove the front drums and check for fluid leakage. Just went through this with improperly fabricated wheel cylinders from Speedway Motors, AKA sea can distribution. There is just no way of burning the silicone out of the contaminated brake shoes as we used to with glycol based fluids!
I agree on this being a shoe that was wet at one time. Oil or brake fluid residue will make a real grabby brake on the first application. if they are riveted, not bonded, you can try heating the show faces with propane, as the oils come to surface, keep scraping it off with putty knife. (trucking fleets would do this on wet rears/expensive shoes) or get new shoes
Hey Verde, I know you said you replaced the brake hoses, but were they N.O.S.Stuff that might have set on a shelf for the last 50 years, or new, new, stuff. I can't think of a reason why a fluid contaminated shoe would cause a lock up, personally. I'd really vote a hydraulic problem somewhere down the line.
they were NEW from NAPA,, who the heck knows how old, or from whence they came? I have NEVER in-countered any thing like this...
Sounds like a bad rubber line or could be shoes on wrong but Im not certain, Do you have one long lining and one short lining at each hub? I think the short one goes towards the front of the car and the long one goes towards the back. The metal may look the same but the linings are different lengths (not sure about a 41 Chrysler) You are probably already aware of that but just thought I would throw it out there as a reminder or so someone might straighten me out about these. I have had more modern cars with disc brakes act like they want to lock after sitting and getting a rusty haze on the rotors but they seem to clear up after driving???
Have you got one of the Parker Stores out in that end of town? The furthest east in Phoenix is on 37th street and Broadway. They can make brake line hoses right in store while you wait for about 15.00 or so a piece. Best damned way to buy 'em you can imagine, 'cause they are fresh brand new stuff.
are the chryslers like the plymouths and have 2 wheel cylinders per wheel? normally what you are experiencing would be the rubber hoses, jack up vehicle and break loose rubber hoses where they connect to metal line and see if wheel turns. next loosen line at master cylinder and spin wheel.
one wheel cylinder, spins easy, just barely turned drum,, was happening before drum turned. no better, no worse. according to books, longest brake shoe is to the front.
Do they have different size / tension return springs on each of the front shoes? If so, are they assembled in the right position, if one pair of springs are assembled in the wrong position (swapped) it will cause that brake to grab on, whereas, the other correct brake will wrap on progressively..
Sounds like the self energising brakes are getting a bit frisky. Are you sure it is not a mechanical issue, as I can see no reason why or how a brake could suddenly lock on solid without a real heavy foot on the brake pedal. And what about putting synthetic into the system, was it built for it? DOT5 (synthetic) is different to DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 You need different rubber seals to use DOT 5 than 'normal' brake fluid.
Your car may be different but most Ive ran into are short to the front like this (passenger side) notice the length of the linings.
check the return springs. If they have lost some of their tension, they may not be releasing the shoes all the way. ran into this problem on a friends 56 Chryco.
FYI, his car has Lockheed brakes, similar to early Fords. On these brakes the long shoe goes to the front. I would lean toward the contaminated shoe idea, since you say that after several easy applications the brakes work OK. Makes me think the easy applications are removing the contamination that rose to the surface of the shoe overnight.
I'm interested in what you find. I would be surprised if it has anything to do with the hoses. Check valve brake hoses don't allow the pressure to release. A plugged brake line or hose would not get better with use. "After driving and applying brake slowly, it functions correctly." I suspect that you have a leaky wheel cylinder on the left side. Overnight, the shoes get damp on the left side and GRAB when you first apply the brakes. Drive it and drag the brakes a little and they dry out. Sit overnight and here we go again. I have never been a fan of silicone brake fluid. It has it's application, but wouldn't be my choice for a HAMB friendly car. It's not traditional. I have no first hand experience with synthetic brake fluid and leaky drum brake wheel cylinders. But, I have played that game many times with DOT 3. Back in the day we would wash contaminated shoes with Carbon Tet. Had to smoke a lot to get that out of your lungs! Cough, Cough!!!!!
I see brakes but how are the wheel bearings i had something like it on a 60 caddy. The wheel would lock up! and there was no bearing play at all. It turned out to be a bad wheel bearing.
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