Projects 1951 Windsor, baby steps and stupid questions

I would like to see someone do some custom quarter panel/fenders that let the front of that rear fender come further forward, more like the 53 and 54s for a more cleaner flowing look instead of looking like an after thought.

 

Guess you gotta be a car guy. My bride text me yesterday that all my brake parts I ordered for the '51 got delivered! Made the whole day brighten up a little and when I got home I was like a kid at Christmas that got everything he asked for! Lol. Some eye rolling from my wife and daughter but one small step at a time! Lol

 

Wonderful! Hope you have a good repair manual? Unlike the loose leaf brakes used on inferior makes, the Chrysler brakes are precision instruments. There is a Major and Minor adjustment, the Major adjustment must be done when you rebuild the brakes or have them apart. The Minor adjustment is to take up wear.

If I did not have the brake adjusting tool I would drill a little wee hole in the brake drum and use a drill bit for a gauge. This will make sense when you see that a Major adjustment is to set the brake shoe with exactly the right clearance to the drum.

It helps to contour the shoes to the drum. Set the shoes in the drum and sand them down with a sanding block where they touch, until they touch for the full length of the shoe. If the shoes are making full contact and the brakes are adjusted right and working right you will wonder why anyone wants disc brakes.

 

Thank you very much, I had no idea they were that precise. I've done tons of drum brakes but never on one of these. I bought the Chrysler service manual so I'll have that as a guide. So you're saying I definitely need some type way to gauge my adjustment, the drill bit, and it's not just by feel? Wat size bit do u recommend?

 

I have a '60 Windsor as well and am wondering if that's going to be the same brake setup as my '51? If it's similar I'll buy the tools needed that will work for both cars as opposed to borrowing for a 1 time job. Thanx again

 

Look in the manual and you will see the shoes have to be set a certain clearance to the drums. There is a special gauge for this that Chrysler dealers used to have. Some guys make up a simple gauge out of wood and metal that goes on the spindle. I thought of drilling a hole in the drum and using a wire gauge. The manual will tell you what the clearance is supposed to be.

 

So I tore the fronts apart today and got all 4 wheel cylinders changed. I can't believe how easy the fronts came apart! I work on newer cars at work and they're just piles of rust inside drums and this was like brand new!
Anyway, the major adjustment is done with the anchor bolts so my stupid question here is, this now requires me taking the drum on and off to get the major adjustment correct right?


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Just do it according to the manual.