Reproduction Parts for 1916-1964 Chevrolet Passenger Cars & 1918-1987 Chevrolet & GMC Trucks


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Jonda1 Offline OP
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My car is a 1933 Master 5 window coupe. I need to adjust the brakes. The manual says to "insert brake adjusting gauge "A."
There is no picture and it is unclear what it is or what it's purpose is and how to use it. Can anyone explain this to me? Is there a way to adjust these brakes using common sense?
Thanks for any help with this.
Dennis

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Someone else should chime in with more detail.

I believe that it is a tool you somehow insert into the brake linkage, up under the floor near the brake pedal, that positions the first parts of the brake linkage system properly and you then adjust the brakes to get proper adjustment of the entire system.

I wish someone had an engineering drawing of what it looks like so I could make one.

Go to page 26 in the following Service News link and it shows a picture of one for the Standard Model.

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/bulletins/33csn026.htm

Last edited by Vila; 01/12/18 06:35 PM.

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Vila
1933 Chevrolet
1962 Triumph TR4
1964 Vespa VNB5T Scooter
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Jonda1 Offline OP
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Thanks for the reply Vila. I appreciate it. I guess I'll just get under there and see what I can see. The manual says it is simple. Just doesn't tell how to do it.

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I posted adjusting info on AACA.org Chevy forum for you.

http://forums.aaca.org/topic/304131-adjusting-huck-mechanical-brakes/

Last edited by J Franklin; 01/12/18 10:16 PM.

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Jonda1 Offline OP
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Thanks J Franklin. I will check it out.
I just looked at it. Could you re-scan it? Or maybe even do a two scans to ensure all of the info is readable. Wow, I don't know where you were able to find that. Thanks a lot.

Dennis

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You should be able to enlarge it if needed. It is 2 pages and all there.


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My 1933 Master brakes worked perfectly well for many years without ever touching the rods and other linkage. In that period I even relined the front and rear shoes and never messed with the linkage under the car. So if brakes have been working well and the rod linkages have not been tampered with you should be OK. The only adjustment needed would be the one at each wheel.

Several years ago I began having problems and let someone else work on the rear brakes. When he returned the car it had a dangerous pull to the left. He had messed with the linkage and later I figured out that the front brakes were all frozen up inside so I dismantled the whole system, cleaned everything and put new parts where needed. I still have a slight pull to the left as a result of those changes to the linkage.

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Thanks for the post J Franklin!

I copies the two jpegs to my 1933 Chev folder. Now, i will use my photo editing programs to turn them to the proper orientation, and I can enlarge them there, also.
Doug

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Thanks for the advice TomKrill. My brakes stop in a straight line if I apply them slowly. When I need to make a fast stop, it just keeps going and locks up the left rear. I almost ran over a little dog the other day that ran in front of me. Luckily I was in the neighborhood and only going about 10 mph.

I'm going to the Pomona Swap Meet tomorrow. I didn't want to start on them and not be able to finish the project. So I'm waiting until Monday to start on the brakes.

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Jonda1 Offline OP
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DMelton, I have followed your posts with much interest. Your car is just awesome.

Dennis Jones

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I know the feeling. First, The simpilist check to see if the situation improves would be to tighten up on the right rear wheel adjustment a little and/or let off on the right rear. Then make sure the fronts are adjusted equally. Spinning the wheel it should not go more than one revolution. Second, are you sure that the left rear axle oil seal is not leaking diff fluid on to the lining? Eventually it would leak out on to the wheel. Third, when I overhauled the brakes I tried to understand how the system actually works. I’m not there yet. In cars with hydraulic brakes the fronts apply before the rears. On these cars the rear applies first. Before reinstalling the hubs and rear axles I used a spring scale where the rods attach to the cross shaft to check how many pounds pull it would take to actuate each wheel. Fronts were more or less equal at 12 pounds pull required and rears more or less equal at 6 pounds pull required. It is easy to pull the front hubs but rear involves draining the diff and pulling the shafts.

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1933 is still when designers, engineers and government officials considered the potential loss of steering by locking up the front brakes to be a problem. Therefore they required the "safer" rear brakes to be applied first. They didn't realize that the front brakes do much more than half of the stopping.


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Jonda1 Offline OP
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What a great day at the Pomona Swap Meet today. Hopefully I'll get into the brakes tomorrow. I will definitely try all the easy stuff first. Maybe I'll get lucky.
Thanks for the tips.
Dennis

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Chipper.......I guess that makes sense that they would think that way. So should I try not to get all four wheels to lock up the same? Or just the rear to lock up? All advice gladly welcome and appreciated.
Thanks,
Dennis

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I adjusted the brakes on the old Chevy today. They work pretty darned good considering they didn't hardly work at all before I touched them. The car now stops in a straight line and much quicker. The rear brakes do lock up if I apply them for a panic stop. But wow, do they ever squeal loudly. I'm thinking that is why they were adjusted as they were. The dealer didn't want them squealing while he was trying to sell the car. Sometime in the future I will replace the shoes on all four. Thanks everyone for the advice. I found a Huck Brake manual on ebay and have ordered it just to have on hand when I replace the shoes.
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Jonda
Brakes squeal generally for 2 main reasons (1) there is loose brake dust between lining and drum (pad and disc on later models). The cure is to remove the drum clear the dust and rough the surfaces with 80 or 90 grit paper refit and adjust. (2) incompatible lining and drum materials. This is a more expensive fix but the linings will need to be changed. If this is the problem I would be turning a deaf ear to the noise until the linings wore out and then replace.
Tony


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A product made by Kimball Midwest for disc brake squeal will help. It worked for me 0n my 32. Looks like grease and scary to apply to the linings and drums but I tried everything I could think of and their product is the only thing that helped. The directions say to spray it directly on the lining and drum but I sprayed it onto a cloth pad and used that to apply it.
www.kimballmidwest.com


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Jonda1 Offline OP
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tonyw and m006840 - - - I appreciate the good advice. You're right. I will pull the front hubs and check and clean them first. If that makes a difference I will then later figure out how to remove the rear hubs and do the same with them. At the very least I will learn about the brake system before paying for new linings.
Thanks,
Dennis

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Jonda
I think the fronts need to come off at the wheel bearing which isnt a 3 day exercise but I think the rears may be somewhat easier as the drum is held on with the wheel otherwise you will need to drop the differential cover a release the axles.
Tony


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Tony, I am assuming the front wheel bearings aren't much different than newer cars such as a 52 chevy. I had a 52 Chevy when I was younger and know how to remove and replace those bearings. If I am wrong about that please let me know. The book doesn't really say. I am concerned about ruining whatever type of grease seal or felt seal and then might need to leave it apart until I find new ones. The book says that I need to remove the axle housing cover. I guess that's the plate on the back of the differential. If I read the book right, I will need to remove the axles to get the rear brake hubs off to check or replace those linings.

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My Raybestos service manual list a complete brake lining overhaul/replacement as a 4.5 hour job. You should not have to pull any axles to remove the drums as far as I know. Should be the same as my 32 and I don't remove the axles if pulling the drums. They are sometimes hard to remove if they have not been removed in a long time. I backed off on the axle nut a couple of turns then with the rear raised I started the car and with it in gear pumped the brakes a few times. That helped loosen the hub on the tapered axle spline.


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As far as I know the fronts are similar design to most rear drive Chevs, remove the dust cap,remove split pin, remove nut and slide the hub off the spindle. The seal is most likely felt and considering it age I would replace it. With the rears, someone suggested that there is a nut at the wheel centre as a method of removing the drums, if his idea doesnt work I have found the by loosening the nuts 1/2 - 1 turn and fitiing the split pin so the nut doesnt fall off, take the car for a drive around the block with lots of harsh turns.
Tony


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Yes, the front brakes are quite similar to later model cars. The wheel bearings are ball bearings while later models used taper roller bearings. I would not loosen the adjusting nut and drive the car hard. You do not want to be buying an expensive set of bearings unless they are broken. By the way a local brake shop said it would virtually impossible to turn these drums and you wouldn’t, want or lose any of the hub material. Make sure the front brake cables work freely. That is where the spring pull test comes in handy.

On 1933 models rear brake drums are riveted to the axle shafts. That is why it is necessary to drain the diff and unbolt the side gear shaft inside. Only then can hubs and axle shafts be pulled. If you do this it would be best to replace the rear seals.

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I have an old service bulletin for ''30-32 Chevy cars from Roese & Wider that states " In the case of squealing brakes, the adjustment of the guide fingers should be checked. These fingers should provide a light tension against the web of the shoes. This tension must not be great enough to offset the action of the release springs. A slight lubrication of the fingers with graphite grease is often of benefit in eliminating a squeak."
The fingers are the 2 riveted black things the shoes slide into next to the cam assembly on the right. (Left side is emergency shoes)
Unknown if your '33 has these but probably does.
[Linked Image from s26.postimg.org]


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Originally Posted by tomkrill
On 1933 models rear brake drums are riveted to the axle shafts. That is why it is necessary to drain the diff and unbolt the side gear shaft inside. Only then can hubs and axle shafts be pulled.

What moron thought THAT design up? probably some sort of misguided cost savings measure?

Doug

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