Technical 40’s Ford Brake adjustment clarification please

Hey fellas,

So I’m tryibg to adjust my brakes because it’s Pulling hard left when I try to stop. I found this online line but would like someone to clarify it for me.

When doing the major adjustment are the top adjusters ( A & B ) adjusted in the same direction as in the first steps or are they turned the other opposite direction?

Second question, what am I shooting for when adjusting the pins ( C ) should I be turning those in until the wheels don’t move then back them off a little?

Thanks for the help in advance.

George

 

It's all right there.....

 

Yes but it doesn’t specify which way you’re turning A & B when doing the major adjustment. Some of us haven’t done this before so we don’t know like some of you guys.

I don’t know what turn A & B to allow the shoes to go all the way up means.

 

This article explains it clearly. Note the point that you always tighten either top or bottom adjuster by pushing down. Follow the second set of instructions by Richard to adjust lower centering bolts.
http://www.btc-bci.com/~billben/brakeadj.html

John

 

It might help if you pull one drum off and look at the cams (a&b) to see which way to rotate them. It can be hard to remember.

 

Oh, in case you have might have my problem; I'd check the rubber hoses going to each wheel. They can fail on the inside. The picture shows the end of the brake line that was barely open. The other end was collapsed. Press on brake and the hydraulic mechanical advantage forces fluid through the line; maybe, but won't let any return. Locked up both my rear wheels!
Your problem with pulling to left might be that your RIGHT rubber hose is completely closed and not sending any juice to the wheel cylinder. If only left one works, it pulls to left.
Just sayin'
Al

 

I agree with pulling the drum off. It's fairly simple to adjust those brakes. But if you haven't done it before it can be a bit confusing. Pull one of the drums off to see how it all works. Then it will make sense.

 

Arrows indicate direction of rotation to move the shoe toward the drum.

 

Here's the instructions that I use...

 

Thanks guys,

So I’ve made adjustments 5 times and till pulling hard left when braking. I’m going to try bleeding the brakes. Hopefully this will fix the situation.

 

If you think you are adjusted properly, it's time to check the shoes for fit and cleanliness. Pull the drum and see how much of the shoe is contacting the drum. If they are newish shoes they might not have worn into full contact yet. Maybe one brake is not but the other side is, and that might make it pull crooked. One ingenious way to arc the shoe to fit the drum is to place self-stick 80 grit sandpaper inside the drum and reassemble. Have the brake pedal slightly pressed as you turn the drum back and forth to shape that shoe. Then clean everything well.

Also see if there is any grease or brake fluid on the shoes. That will definitely require a thorough cleaning or replacement.

 

If, after all the bleeding, cleaning, sanding and adjusting the car still pulls to one side, re-read Hamtown Al's post above. Rubber hoses are a serious problem with the insides collapsing. I've run into this problem a number of times.

 

You are correct sir!! So after trying to adjust them one more time, I bled the brakes and took everything apart and put it back together yet it still pulled left. Took it over to my buddies and he noticed some black stuff on the driver side pad. It was black in color but we didn’t know what it was.

After he noticed that earlier that day I remember removing paint from the catch in the drum. I didn’t realize at the time but when I found a small leak from the cylinder I cleaned the brakes with brake cleaner. The inside was painted from the previous owner and the cleaner ate the paint and got into the pads.

He ended up sanding everything, we put it all back together and boom works fine.

 

don't have that problem with disc

 

Don't have that problem with a new Honda either, but you don't see us driving Hondas do you?

 

I had the same problem and found the emergency brake cable was too tight and causing the right rear wheel brake to drag. Every time I stepped on the brakes it would go left. Adjusted the cable and all good. Just a thought

 

Your shoes might not be centered in the drums. An old brake shop can replace linings on the shoes if necessary, then cut the new linings to exactly match the radius of the drums. They adjust very easily after this procedure. I had this done in San Antonio several years ago. Needs to be an old company with old tooling.

 

My brakes don't have the bottom adjustment so I guess I just adjust the top as in the minor adjustment instructions?

 

I’ve found that pointing the bottom adjusters towards each other, dots facing each other, is best for these brakes. Ford got rid of the bottom adjustment in 42-48 because it was a pain in the ass. Pointing the bottom adjusters on the earlier, 39-41, basically makes them the same as the ones without adjusters, 42-48. That being said, sometimes you can adjust the bottoms a little upwards from each other as pads wear.

 

O.k. so I have later brakes. Thanks.

 

I have a similar glitch, 39 brakes on an A, new shoes, I just had all the cylinders and master stainless sleeved, some one else put it all together and then it sat for 7 years there fore the sleeveing, so it had not been driven, the anchors are a pain in the ass, do you do as Deescott posted and leave the dots or arrows facing each other or go for broke and try to adjust them, on other anchor set ups they is a small slit in the drum at facing height then you use a feeler gauge to set bot top and bottom but these don't have the slot, any suggestions, U read the sheets above and nothing was said in the major adjustment to set these.

 

I was helping a friend who paid too much for a Barrett-Jackson special. Talk about lipstick on a pig.
Had new paint but ended up replacing all of the wheel cylinders , and hoses and master cylinder.
Then having the shoes arced to get more than 30 percent contact with the drum .
Try to find a shop with a brake shoe trueing machine. I found an old machine shop down in Florida who does it all old school.

 

I don't think you will fix your pulling problem with hydraulic brakes with adjustment. The very nature of hydraulics is they won't push until all the clearance is taken up at every wheel. Pull the left front and look for brake fluid or grease in the linings most common cause. If the adjustment is to tight it can cause the brake to heat up and lose friction I.E. brake fade.

 

Been there, the bad hose will also keep that side from releasing as well!

 

Can be a real complicated problem to find!

 

when the dots are facing each other i have to go up with the dots not down to adjust can the left adjuster get mixed up with the right or are they the same

 

Bottom adjuster pins on 39-42 brakes are the same parts side-for-side. You can mix them up no problem.

The thickness of the linings on the shoes makes a huge difference on how the brakes are adjusted. Lots of new shoes have very thick linings on them. I think they do that because they believe all the old drums are turned to a much bigger ID.

 

With early brakes is there a leading shoe? Are both shoes the same length? I pulled mine apart a few years ago and can't remember. I don't think mine are doing full contact on the drum so maybe time to pull apart again and get them "shaved" to fit the drum. This is on the roadster not the Hudson.

 

If you look closely at the drawings in the origional post the forward lining is full length and the backside lining is about 2/3 of the shoe.