shim brake drum?

working on my '31 'A'. pulled the rear drums ('40, i think) the axle nut was way loose and i was able to remove it by hand. the grease seal is toast, but i can read the numbers : NATIONAL 5877. anyways, there was remnants of a shim wrapped around the axle. do i need to replace that? is it common? seems hokey.

 

ya you can buy them. I think it was even comon for people to use an old beer can. but i wouldnt

 

after searching, i know why its there. but where can i get a pair? these were disintegrated badly and i wouldnt even think of using alum cans. oh wait, they were probably steel beer cans back then.

 

Mac's has them.

 

Use a new set of keys also.

 

I would clean the axle and hub bore of grease, inspect to see what is worn and if it looks okay try installing it without the axle key at this point for a trial fit, as you torque up the nut turn the drum to see if it is hitting the backing plate, if yes in one area the backing plate may be warped in at that spot and could be straightened, may not need the shim, they are very hard to keep from working their way up into the bearing stub as yours was.

Vergil

 

ill try that, thanks. what do you torque the nut to?

 

I recalled it was 250ft# I just tighten the piss out of it and go some more to line up the key hole. And like spring ubolts try giving them another crank ocassionaly
"I believe the specified torque is 200-225lb then up to the next line-up cotter pin hole, but not exceeding 275lbs. " a quote from Fordbarn.

 

wow, thats tight!

 

You want the taper to lock on like it is intended. The key is not the main thing that holds the hub to the axle, it is the, precision, tapered fit and the tightness of the nut. No matter what anyone tell you, do not apply grease, anti seize, or any other goop on the taper. It needs to be clean and dry. If it is difficult to remove later, good. It is supposed to be. That's why there are, specific, pullers for tapered hubs

 

I just went through the same thing, took the hubcap off and the axle nut was hand-tightened...held on by the cotter pin! Just pulled the hub right off. I removed the hub and there were thin, worn remnants of steel. The shims had disintegrated, I love the HAMB search function!

 

The shims are there to get the distance between the drum and the backing plate. As things wear sometimes you need the shim so the drum doesn't bind.

The Old Tinbasher