i JUST PURCHASED A 57 PLYMOUTH THAT HAS SOME FRONT BRAKE ISSUES. THE OBVIOUS IS IT HAS A WHEEL CYLINDER LEAKING ON THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL. BOTH FRONT BRAKES SEEM TO DRAG. IT HAS TWO WHEEL CYLINDERS ON EACH WHEEL AND NO ADJUSTMENT MECHANISMS. I READ A FEW WEEKS AGO THAT THE SHOES MIGHT DIG IN IF THE DRUMS HAVE BEEN TURNED TO FAR. THE BRAKE HOSES DON'T LOOK TOO GOOD SO I'M GONNA REPLACE THEM. IF SOMETHING NORMAL IS WRONG I THINK I'LL BE ABLE TO FIX THEM I HAVE ALOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH BRAKES I OWNED A GARAGE FOR ABOUT TEN YEARS. MY QUESTION IS THE BACKING PLATES ROTATE THE SHOES CLOCKWISE. B THE PREVIOUS OWNER HAD ALL OF THIS OFF COULD HE HAVE PUT THE BACKING PLATES ON THE WRONG SIDES AND THE SHOES SHOULD REALLY BE ROTATED COUNTERCLOCKWISE? ANY INPUT WOULD BE HELPFUL. THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID HE COULD NEVER GET THE FRONT BRAKES TOO OPERATE PROPERLY THANKS CHAD
It has two eccentric bolts on the backing plates,and they rotate in opposite directions.I have the same on my 58 dodge,and they are a pain in the ASS! I have a set of '76 Dodge Aspen spindles slated for mine. It is a bolt on,save for brake hose issues. Good luck if you want to keep them,they have to be SPOT ON to work right!
Forgot to say,they are known as"Dual contact center plane drum brakes",and are in the Motors or Chiltons manuals of the era.
I just shit canned the whole set up and installed the AAJ disc brake conversion kit on my 57 dodge. No, not cheap. But it stops in a straight line every time now.
Go to the P15 D24 web site and check out the brake rebuild and adjustment part of the WIP section (Works in Progress) This link should take you there, the later system was a little different but the procedure stays pretty much the same. The gif below shows where the adjusters are. The lowers are the major, and the uppers are for fine tuning the setup. some folks have cut a slot in the front of the drum so that a feeler gauge can be installed as the process is taking place to check the clearence. http://www40.addr.com/~merc583/mopar/framesets/wipbrakeframeset.html
Email Moonman, he has owned several of the 57's and knows all the tricks. He used I believe cordoba spindles and disc if I'm not mistaken ,on one of them.
Years ago I parted a 64 chrysler and a friend took all the brake parts off of it for his 57 plymouth,he said they will bolt on giving it better brakes. They were the bendix self energizing type and I can not remember when he said chrysler started using that type of brakes,discs would be better but it might be a cheaper alternative and could be done in no time. Jeff
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