[KGS]

The late Paul Garrigan authored "Rumbleseats Flathead Tips".
What follows is his way of adjusting the "Lockheed" brakes for 1940 Fords.
Hope this helps'
Ken


************* ADJUSTING BRAKES **************
ADJUSTING ANCHORS ON ’39-‘41 FORD/MERC BRAKES: These are Ford Lockheed
(not Bendix) brakes and use special brass washers in conjunction with
eccentric anchor bolts to position the shoe. The top of the shoes are
controlled by eccentric cams. The anchor bolts at the bottom of the
backing plate control the shoe position by rotating eccentric washers at
the bottom of the shoes. Before starting to adjust, verify all anchor
bolts turn freely.
The ’39-‘4 use anchor bolts which have locating marks (either a dot or an arrow
for position reference) indented on the elongated ¼” head of the bottom adjusting
bolt. These anchor bolts extend through the backing plates from the drum side
and are adjusted externally after loosening their large external lock nuts.
After adjusting the shoes, the adjustor lock nuts are tightened without
permitting rotation of the anchor pin adjusters.
(1) Always rotate the wheel in the same direction the wheel turns as when the
car moves forward.
(2) Begin by backing all the way off, the two 11/16” eccentric adjusters at the
top of the backing plate until the wheel turns freely. Then slightly loosening
both bottom anchor bolt lock nuts (3/4”) on the back of on backing plate. Turn
all of the two elongated locator marks (either an arrow or a dot) on the 1/4"
adjusters so they face each other.
(3) Further adjustments are made by turning the anchor bolt adjusters in a
SPECIFIC direction.....
(a) Driver’s side. The front shoe anchor ¼” adjuster bolts (with
the dot or arrow) on the both the front and rear wheels are rotated
counter-clockwise when looking at the back of the backing plate. The rear
shoe anchor ¼” adjuster bolts (with the dot or arrow) on both the front
and rear wheels are rotated clockwise. This is VERY important.
(b) Passenger side. The front shoe anchor ¼” adjuster bolts (with
the dot or arrow) on both the front and rear wheels are rotated clockwise
when looking at the back of the backing plate. The rear shoe anchor ¼”
adjuster bolts (with the dot or arrow) on both the front and rear wheels
are rotated counter-clockwise. This is VERY important.
(4) Now turn one of the upper adjusting 11/16" eccentric cams until the wheel
cannot be turned. Adjust its 1/4" anchor bolt in the correct direction until the
wheel just does turn. This lowers the shoe and moves the toe of the shoe away
from the drum, which will result in fuller shoe contact.
(5) Repeat step (4) over and over on the same shoe until turning the anchor bolt
will not free-up the wheel.
(6) Back off the upper anchor pin very slightly until the wheel will just barely
turn. Tighten the anchor pin lock nut (3/4”) and then adjust to the other shoe
on that wheel.
(7) Thereafter, it’s common to never needing to adjust anything other than the
top eccentric cam.
TIP: If you’re installing new shoes, which have been arc-ground to fit the
drum, you normally will not have to go through the preceding exercise. Turn the
dots/arrows until they’re facing towards each other and tighten the ¾” anchor pin
nuts. This correctly positions the brake shoes and you don’t have to go through
the anchor pin adjusting..... just adjust the upper 11/16" cam adjusters.
ADJUSTING ’42-’48 BRAKES: The anchor pins are different than the ‘39-
’41 Lockheed brakes, but do not have any reference marks on the backside
of the anchor bolts. And they adjust differently. Instead they have one
flat side ground on their large round shallow bolt heads. The flat sides
are turned so they face each other. This is usually al the adjustment
needed due to the semi-floating design of the anchors. Tighten the large
nuts (which are on the inside of the brake drum)and put on the brake drum.
Adjust the upper eccentric cams and you’re through.