VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 front left brake grabs

OK, On my '40 SD, I've noticed that my left front brake grabs after not running the car for a few days. After about a block it quits and is OK. I pulled it apart and found nothing wrong visually. I have rebuilt all brake cylinders last season, replaced shoes, but only the front left has this problem. I even backed off a few notches on the adjusters. I don't see any moisture on the drums.
any ideas?

Have a look at the right side as well, it could well be the right isnt working giving the impression the left is grabbing.
Tony

not evenly adjusted ? frank

Same thing happen to my 37. It was the wheel cylinder piston hanging up in the bore. I cleaned it up with 320 grit and no more sticking.

I went back and readjusted the both front brakes to four notches off dragging. I found one spring that seemed weak and replaced it. It seems to help some. I will check tomorrow to see if any changes are better.
thanks guys, I'll report then

I put my old original brake shoes back on and the grabbing stopped. I looked at the newer shoes and compared them with the old set and seen a thicker pad surface and they did seem to be not the same radius as the old pad. Is it possible that the brake shoe is wrong one for this year car? The part number were the same. Boxed wrong at the supplier? did NAPA give me a bad set?
I wonder what went wrong.

When I first started working for my Dad in the mid '70's there was a parts store that had a tool that would shape the brake shoe to fit the drum after the drum was resurfaced.

The result was a shoe that fit the drum precisely after adjustment.

If you were to place new brake shoes in a brake drum you will see that the top and bottom of the shoe will make contact with the drum and the middle will have a gap.

So the lock up is the result of ill fitting brake shoes until they wear to the correct shape of the drum.

As an example.....when I received the drums and shaped brake shoes I would adjust them and send the customer on his/her way. But after the parts store/shop closed, I was not able to find another shop that performed the same job. So then after installing the ill fitting brake system, I would have to have the customer return (usually a two week time frame) so that I could readjust both the brakes and the e-brake.

I'm sure that the older "mechanics" remember this tool. It was run by an electric motor with a course rotating buffing wheel that would remove the upper and lower sharp edge (square) to allow the shoe to fit the drum (round).

Arcing the brake shoes helps fit the shoes to the drum.

If your drums have been turned at one time, they will be larger than standard and the shoes will probably not have contact near the ends. If one drum is a different diameter than the other the brakes willl pull. After some wear in time the problem should fade.