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After installing new cylinders all around in my '48, I am getting ready to bleed and adjust the brakes. My question is:

When I reassembled the brakes, after cleaning and putting the existing shoes back, I set the adjuster all the way in. Then I put the drums back on, and I figured I would tighten the adjuster to snug up the shoes before bleeding, so the pistons wouldn't pop all the way out of the cylinders. Reading some service manuals, I they said to back off the adjusters 16 clicks. From my experience, I would snug up the shoes, and back off until the drum was free. 16 clicks seems excessive. What is the correct procedure?

Thanks!

I think 16 is too much also. The 55-6 manual procedure is pretty much as your experience. Don't think a 48 should be any different.

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Dr. Earl -- At work, and haven't got the 1946-50 Packard Shop Manual in front of me, but i'll bet the farm it says eight (8) clicks. I've also seen that figure in supplemental Packard charts for those years.

Interesting since the brakes are pretty much all the same pieces and many are interchangeable. 48-50 manual does say 16, 51-4 has no number -- just says back off until wheel turns freely and 55-6 is 7 or as needed till wheel is free. I'd still just back off as needed.

I think it's a typo. I'm including the 'Brake Adjustment - Minor' screen shot, but right after it, in the 'Brake Adjustment - Major' instructions it says 6 clicks.

FWIW, I back off just until the wheel turns freely.

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Caramba, so much for recalling something you only do once in a blue moon from memory. Checked my 1946-50 Packard Service Manual, Section VI, "Chassis," 1st edition, September, 1949:

"1. Brake Adjustment-Minor
(p.15) E. Back off the adjusting screw 16 clicks on all wheels.

2. Brake Adjustment-Major
(p.17) J. Again tighten the brake by means of the star wheel adjustment until the wheel is just locked, then loosen the adjustment 16 clicks: this procedure will provide proper lining clearance."


So now i'm wondering where i got eight clicks from, perhaps the '40 120 i owned long, long ago.

Since you have all new shoes, I suggest also doing the major adjustment. The anchor pin at the top of the backing plate is eccentric and can be used to center up the shoes within the drums. This makes up for wear and variations. There is an elaborate procedure in the manuals that I have soundly ignored for the last 200 brake jobs or so. Here is what I do and it has worked quite well for my customers and for my own Packards:

Loosen the big 15/16th locknut a turn, and be sure the high part of the adjusting screw is generally toward the rear of the car. Tighten the starwheel til you can just hardly turn the drums. Turn the 7/16th adjusting screw back and forth til the drums turn as easily as possible--you have just centered the lining up within the drums. Sometimes the drum starts to turn so freely you have tighten up the starwheel some more clicks and try again. Then tighten up the locknut good and tight and back off the starwheel til the wheel is just free. This proceedure will assure best possible contact between the linings and drum and minimize wear-in time.

All but maybe 3% of my lifetime driving has been in cars with drum brakes and I have learned that keeping the shoes close adjusted gives long service life and better braking.

Thanks Ross. I added that one to my Packard How-to folder.

Auugh, And I nearly forgot the great crippler of rear drum brakes. Before you do any of the above de-adjust the cable equalizer till the cables are slack and you can push the cables into their sheaths a bit. If the handbrake adjustment holds the shoes away from the anchor pin you'll get erratic and quick fading action.

I don't have new shoes, as my '48 had new brakes put on 27 years ago, and was driven for less than 100 miles before it was parked. The shoes and the drums were fine. There was no need to do a major. I replaced the cylinders, hoses, and one brake line.

I removed and refinished the front backing plates, blasted and refinished all drums, wire brushed the pushrods, bolts, etc. and reassembled with the new cylinders. Adjusted, bled, and readjusted- 6 clicks.

I drove the car the first time today, and it was amazing how quick and straight this 4100 lb car would stop!

BTW, this was an experiment because I used the later 1" rears and 1-1/16" front cylinders, with adapters to work with the 1/4" fittings that were on my '48. The later model cylinders all had 3/16" fittings.

It all worked!