Hydraulic brake balancing

[CWPASADENA]

So, check that shoes are installed correctly. These have primary and secondary shoes. Primaries are short, secondaries long. Primaries go toward the front, secondaries rear. I've always been surprised at many times they are installed incorrectly, happens a lot.


Patrick L.

These are Ford Fixed Anchor Brakes. The long shoe goes to the front, the short shoe goes to the rear.

Self energizing Bendix Brakes have the short primary toward the front and the long secondary toward the rear.

Ford Hydraulic brakes from '39 to '48 were fixed anchor. Lincoln brakes during this period were the much better Bendix Brakes.

Chris W.

[Patrick L.]

Chris,

I posted a big response and then deleted it. I deleted it because you are right. The rear shoe is the primary/shorter of the two and the short end goes toward the bottom. I do know/remember these are anchored and not energizing.
But Boy, I sure don't remember that shoe orientation and I come from a Ford garage. I guess the Alzheimers thing is kicking in.


I do still see shoes that are installed incorrectly on other vehicles, in that, many times the primaries are on one side the secondaries on the other or they are on backwards.

[HD Rider]

Originally Posted by Pdgx

adjusting the stationary and the middle adjusters, but ‘46-48’s only have middle adjusters.

Are you sure? The bottom anchors should be on cams. When they are tight, the shoe should move freely. They should be adjusted when the brakes are assembled by turning the anchor bolts. Then adjust the center adjusters. Future maintenance adjustment is done at the center adjuster.

[Jerry in Shasta]

Are the left and right cylinders exactly the same.
my WAG at the problem
JB

[denis4x4]

I got some after market shoes that were incorrect and sent the original shoes to an outfit in Phoenix bond new linings on them. NAPA and Speedway wheel cylinders are made in Mexico