Re: Re-installing rear brake drums

Posted by ScottG On 2023/7/24 19:20:08

Maybe I have my terminology wrong.

According to the 1955 service manual, after installing the shims "the clearance should be .004"-.007." After installing the new bearings, races and shims and seating each against the opposite backing plate, my final measurement (taken with a dial guage-not the adjustable tool) was .0045." That is what I referred to as end-play.

The thought of excessive axle movement is an interesting one. If the axle were moving too much, I would think that the unwanted contact would be more evenly distributed on the shoes. In my case, only the bottom 1-2" of the secondary shoe show any sign of making contact with the drum. Also, this started happening before I changed out the rear axle shaft bearings. While it's certainly possible that I replaced an out-of-spec rear axle adjustment with another out-of-spec adjustment (and attendant new parts), I'm not sure my luck is that bad.