Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

OK, I have my front brakes apart and I have the orange and yellow springs. The brake shoes are exactly the same front and back, and the springs were assembled the same on both wheels (looking at the brakes after pulling the drum off) - orange left, yellow right. So that means that on the LH wheel the orange spring was toward the front, and on the RH wheel it was toward the back.

So, which shoe would be the "primary" and it would get the smaller (orange) spring? This is on a '52 200, the parts list shows the same PN springs for both by the way to make it more confusing.

The primary shoe is the forward-facing shoe regardless of wheel and as originally supplied had a shorter length of lining that the secondary because the secondary shoe provided the greater amount of braking effort. Often it also had a different lining material to give different frictional properties - such distinctions are generally disregarded these days when relining. Where the return springs are different, the weaker spring always goes on the primary shoe so that it contacts the drum first and applies the caming force (the so-called 'self-energizing" force) to the secondary shoe.

Gotcha, thanks David