1962 Brake Question

[PoDuck]

Because my brakes are really terrible, I have been redoing all my brake hardware, shoes, drums, wheel cylinders, hardware, and noticed that the brakes are not self adjusting. At least on the front. (haven't had the rear apart yet.)

Is there a way to convert these to self adjusting brakes? I saw that someone said that they had used the LMC 65-66 kit for their '62, but I find no information about it. Is this possible? Is it easy? How well does it work?

[Brad54]

Yes, they can be converted to self-adjuster mechanisms.
I think there's a kit out there specificially to do that. I use the parts from one of the passenger car lines to do it, I think... it was several years ago.

I don't have the numbers, but I checked the diameter of the drums, and then went to one of the suppliers for car resto parts and used their kit of the same size drums... I THINK the tri-5 chevy kits use 11-inch drums, and then the later cars use 10-inch drums, but don't remember. And I don't remember what size our truck's drums are either.

Not a short, or direct answer, but it CAN be done.

-Brad

[markeb01]

I used these kits (left and right) to add self adjusters to the stock rear brakes in my 1960 GMC:

http://www.classicparts.com/1964-75-...ctinfo/71-661/

http://www.classicparts.com/1964-75-...ctinfo/71-662/

I assume they would work just as well as on the front drum brakes (I have discs). The only secret to the swap is you need the newer (64-72?) brakes shoes. They have an extra or different hole punched in the mounting area of the shoe for the adjuster. I think it might be the holes I’ve marked below on the 1966 shoes:

1962 shoes:



1966 shoes:

[PoDuck]

I don't see extra holes there, but I do see an added bump. That is good to know though. Thank you very much. I will be doing that upgrade in the near future.

Thanks.

[PoDuck]

I just looked, and O'Reilly has the kits for less than $10 with no shipping. It's just a '66 self adjustment repair kit. I'll take my shoes back and get the '66 ones and I think I'm set for less than $40.

[PoDuck]

Something I found that seems like it should be the same for pretty much all chevys. It may be the only difference is that the hole is bigger, not that there are extra holes.

Chevrolet & Corvair Drum Brake service 1963 -...

[austin60c10]

subscribed, Poduck if you happen to have that Orielly's part number I'd love to see it.

Thanks,

A

[aerotruk63]

Link that might help.

https://plus.google.com/photos/11384...Niu-JDXna-OmwE

[PoDuck]

O'reilly part numbers:
Left front and rear: H2508
Right front and rear: H2509

They appear to have all the same hardware as the one said to be for conversion, and from what I see in the video appears to have all it needs.

aerotruk63, that link doesn't work.

[aerotruk63]

How about now, sorry.

https://plus.google.com/photos/11384...IrD-YzCtp2VgwE

[aerotruk63]

https://plus.google.com/photos/11384...IrD-YzCtp2VgwE

[PoDuck]

I went to the parts store today, and compared the brakes for the 64-72 to my 62 brakes. They look identical but for one simple thing. The friction surface of the rear shoe is longer on the 64-72 variety. Although this doesn't mean anything as for the conversion, I am going to go ahead and try them anyway to hopefully get a little more braking power from the bigger surface.

The steel all looks identical between the two sets of shoes, which means that the original brakes would probably work for the upgrade, but I'm going to switch them to the newer style anyway so that I'll have the larger braking surface.

[PoDuck]

Okay, sure enough, I did the upgrade today and all worked perfectly. It makes it somewhat nice when both front and rear use mostly the same equipment.

I didn't take step by step pictures on this hub, but I decided I would write it up, and add pictures later.

Parts List
O'reilly part numbers:
H2508 - Left Drum Brake Self Adjuster Repair Kit $9.99 each (2 needed)
H2509 - Right Drum Brake Self Adjuster Repair Kit $8.49 each (2 needed)
H7017 - Front Drum Brake Hardware Kit $4.49 (1 needed)
H7018 - Rear Drum Brake Hardware Kit $4.29 (1 needed)

If you have a 3/8" hole on the rear shoe already, where the hold down spring goes, you don't need to change the brake shoes. If you don't have the 3/8" hole, you will want to change over to the newer '63-'72 brakes. Since I was changing shoes anyway, and although the 228 brakes that O'reilly sells are the same in every other way as the newer style 280 brakes, including the 3/8" hole, they had less friction surface, so I went with the newer style.

280 - Brake shoes $29.99 a pair (2 needed)

Total cost before tax: $105.72

Procedure

The reason you need the hardware kit isn't because your old hardware is worn out. It is because the old hardware uses two identical springs as tensioner springs at the top, where the self adjuster setup needs a bit shorter spring for the rear shoe. The old setup also has a shorter pin for the rear shoe hold down, and with the added hardware, you need a little longer pin.

1. Put the green spring with hooks on it from the hardware kit in the holes at the base of the shoes. (The one that holds the shoes together.) Make sure the long end goes toward the rear shoe. The rear shoe is the one with the longer friction surface. Make sure that the spring will not interfere with the adjuster wheel.

2. Insert the adjuster wheel mechanism where the old one went with the wheel toward the rear shoe and place the brakes around the hub.

3. Assemble the actuating lever and pivot plate so they will look as shown in the picture. (Picture is of the left side. Right side will be reversed.)

4. Put the lever and plate against the rear shoe and line up the hole with the hole in the shoe.

5. Insert the sleeve through the adjuster and brake shoe and insert the long pin through the backing plate, brake shoe, and adjuster.

6. Place the green spring without hooks narrow end first over the pin and secure it with the deep dish washer.

7. Find a short pin in the hardware kit, along with the yellow spring. The yellow spring and short pin are used to hold down the front shoe.

8. With a pair of vise grips, hold down the adjusting lever against the brake near the bottom of the shoe and install the heavy override spring from the adjuster kit.

9. Insert the little red return spring underneath the adjusting lever. This can be done before the adjuster is put in, but it can be inserted afterwards as well with only your fingers.

9. Connect the heavy wire link from the adjuster kit to the actuating lever and connect the black spring from the hardware kit from the rear shoe to the wire link, then connect the link to the top anchor pin.

10. Connect the gray spring between the front shoe and the top anchor pin.

When finished, your brakes should look like this:


If you are doing a rear brake, there is the emergency brake hardware that is different, and the right brakes will look reverse of this.

11. Adjust the adjuster mechanism so that you have slight friction on the drum when you install it and turn it.

12. From the rear access hole, use a screwdriver to adjust the adjuster to just put tension on the drum to the point where it is difficult to spin by hand. Then back off the adjuster 6-8 clicks, or until you are just able to spin the drum again.

Do all four wheels, then you will want to drive in reverse up to maybe 10 mph, and step hard on the brakes. Do this several times, and all brakes should be adjusted properly and should stay adjusted as long as you drive in reverse once in a while.

All said, the job was really no more difficult than changing brakes.

[1963c-10]

So I can use my 63 drums and brakes w/just buying the self adjuster repair kit? Or do I need 64-66 brakes? This thread says 64-72 and then 63-72 brakes....I just want to make sure im getting the correct parts since we are talking brakes.

[1963c-10]

Through NAPA it shows rear self adjust repair kit (left) UP 80659 $12.49, (right) UP 80660 $12.49 and shows different rear brakes for 63 TS TS220 and 64 TS TS280. So im guessing I'll need the 64 shoes. So to get my parts list right....i set each repair kit and rear brakes to convert?

[1963c-10]

NAPA also shows the same part # for 63-64 brake bar NOE 6751552 $8.99 and rear spring kits are the same for 63-64 UP 2988 $7.69. What about the emergency brake cable? Will my 63 rear cables work on the self adjusters? Nice video by the way...was only about 7min long.

[1963c-10]

Anybody be any help on the facts around the rear brake cables? Do they need swapped or will they work?

[PoDuck]

Originally Posted by 1963c-10

Anybody be any help on the facts around the rear brake cables? Do they need swapped or will they work?

Yes, you can use your old cables. The emergency brake system is pretty close to identical between all of these trucks. In fact, the bar that goes between the brakes was missing on my passenger side and I was able to use one from a '72.

This upgrade is much less work than it might seem. It is really no harder than the video shows, and emergency brakes don't get in the way.

[1963c-10]

Ok, great. Thats what I wanted to know. I have the parts ordered from NAPA already and am looking forward to doing the conversion this weekend.

[PoDuck]

I probably should have put a caveat to my writeup. I didn't realize it would be put in the FAQ.

Putting self adjusters on brakes makes it so there is less work involved in keeping them adjusted, and adjusted brakes are much safer as long as they work. Self adjusters are known to stop working more than just rarely though, so adding them is no substitute for checking the brake clearance once in a while.

[1963c-10]

Noted, thanks. Just wait til it sounds expensive? haha.....I normally check when I do my tire rotations at home. Simple to pop off the drum and do a quick inspection

[Smo_King]

Does anyone know if the 62 GMC had the adjusters as stock? I am debugging my brakes and just figured out the POs had the adjusters wrong on one front and one rear. Been driving me nuts! Driveway looks like a racetrack...

Anyways I was just looking for the drum brake overhaul kit in an old link I had seen. If any one knows the supplier I wana say it was like 109-139 for springs, cylinders, shoes deal. Basically all hardware. Not the Kant or LMC kit.

Now I gota wrap my head around left handed threads and backwards in 101*

[LostMy65]

Great info in this thread.
Thanks

[LostMy65]

I still haven't upgraded to self adjusting brakes.
Today I tried to adjust my front brakes, but on the passenger side I couldn't get the star to even turn.
So I took the wheel off to remove the drum, and I can't get the drum off.
Tomorrow I'll try some PB Blaster Penetrating Oil. Maybe after a few days later I'll be able to loosen them enough to get the drum off.
I figured if the star adjuster is frozen, I had better look at the shoes.

[PoDuck]

I've had them rusted pretty good before. Had give them some gentle coaxing with a sledge hammer a few times. PB Blaster probably won't be enough.