Guest 1953 C60-2 Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Has anyone swapped out the brakes for a 1953 Chrysler Windsor with more modern bendix type brakes with self adjusters. I know that I would have to swap out the backing plate, wheel cylinders, and possibly the emergency brake set up. Any help or advice welcome. I am NOT INTERESTED IN CONVERTING TO DISC BRAKES. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Chrysler brakes were considered the best drum brakes available. Better than Bendix. The only problem is setting them up properly after an overhaul. Brake adjustments are not difficult and only need to be done every 5,000 miles or less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bober Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Rusty_OToole</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Chrysler brakes were considered the best drum brakes available. Better than Bendix. The only problem is setting them up properly after an overhaul. Brake adjustments are not difficult and only need to be done every 5,000 miles or less.</div></div> The brakes on all the MoPars up to 1956 are excellent brakes. People just don't get it-they need to have some patience to let the new brake lings wear in to conform to the drum. They read the book too much and get all confused about adjusting these brakes! Heel? toe? turn this cam that one? -1750 ammco for $450.00 Adjust em up best as you can and wear them in softly and keep adjusting them up . After they have conformed to the drum you will have rock hard good (excellent) brakes -high firm pedal and easy stopping too.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 If you took your car to a Chrysler dealer back when those brakes were in service, they would have ground the shoes to the diameter of the drum then adjusted them for a perfect fit using the factory gauge or aamco equivalent.When you drove out of the garage you would have the best brakes available and the only maintenance would be periodic adjustments to take up wear, a very simple job.These brakes were precision made, not the hit or miss junk used by inferior brands like GM and Ford. They had to be installed properly to work their best.It may be a little more work to do a brake job right on these cars but it is worth the effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Incidentally it is possible to set these brakes up with no special tools or gauges. The procedure is laid out in my MoToR Repair Manual (1954 edition). It can probably be found in any good repair manual of that time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bober Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I have owned these old mopars Ply/Dodge/Chrysler for over 40 years and never had the miller or the ammco tools to adjust the brakes. I always kept the anchor arrows set to factory positions-rear anchors faced each other and front wheel cyl. anchors to the W/cyl.Pressure bled them out and adjusted the main shoe adjusting bolt-shoes slightly dragging. Would drive 1000 miles or so- adjusted shoes again. And the pedal firmness got much better till the 3rd adjustment pedal would only go down 2" at the most and be ROCK HARD and the car would stop straight and excellent correct stopping pedal feel. I do have all the guages -Miller complete tool set and the Ammco 1750.Also have the Ammco safe Arc shoe grinder. But- if you don't have tons of $$$$ now days to purchase this equipment be patient and let them wear /drive them easy at first (soft pedal) and keep adjusting them up!!! You will get perfect feeling brakes!Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Since we are on the subject, I am haveing trouble with one of the adjusters on my 56 Imperial. It is right behind part of the spindle and difficult to get to. Consequently someone has used a vice grip on it and now I cannot get any tool on there to grip it enough to turn the adjuster. I do have a 57 parts car and from outright appearance the backing plate looks the same. Does anybody out there have a Hollanders or knowledge about the interchange of front brake parts from 57 to 56? I have a reprint manual and I understand the adjustment procedure and I have the brakes working well. I think that if I could just get that last shoe adjusted I would be happier. In addition, if anybody is looking for 57 Imperial coupe parts let me know. I have to get rid of it sometime before summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 bober...I do the exact adjustment method as you do and it has never failed to work. It even works on my 1931 Dodge and those are very hard for most folks to adjust. Good system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 When I worked at Firestone, we would put the shoes into the drum to check mating surfaces and simply bevel the top and bottom ends of the shoes to make certain they did not hang up and that they fit correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bober Posted January 26, 2009 Share Posted January 26, 2009 kieser31-- glad to hear someone has also used this lining breakin procedure and not gotten all caught up in what the books say! It does work! It's just slower to get excellent results..and so easy and cheap!Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flamintruck Posted March 13, 2014 Share Posted March 13, 2014 Help. I just installed new front wheel cyls. on my '53 Windsor and cannot get the shoes adjusted in enough to get the drums back on. What am I doing wrong? Thanks, Tommy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 The new wheel cylinder pistons are not as deep so the push rod is pushing the shoes out too far. You must use the shorter wheel cylinder push rods if you have them. They used to come with the new replacemnt wheel cylinders. The original factory push rods are about 1/8" longer.See pic...Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flamintruck Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Bob,I have the long push rods as on the left in your picture. I kind of guessed it had to do with the replacement wheel cyls. Now to find shorter push rods. Or, modify the originals.Thanks for the information.Tommy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest markrush Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 Interesting about the new wheel cylinders. I'm not clear on what era of brake cylinders this applies to. I have 4 new front wheel cylinders (from Andy Berbaum) I was going to install on my '48 Windsor Sedan. Would these also need the push rods you refer to? If so, is there a good source? Some of you seem to have an encyclopedic knowledge of old Chryslers. I wish one of you would either write a book on these cars or set up a shop near me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted March 14, 2014 Share Posted March 14, 2014 The book exists. It is the factory repair manual. Supplemented daily on this site. Ask Andy Bernbaum if the cylinders need different pushrods, he should know if anybody does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c49er Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 After many many many brake jobs on these old Mopars you learn about all these quirky brake issues. Any 1946-54 replacement wheel cylinders might require the shorter push rods. There are a number of factors to consider as for which push rods are required. Are the drums oversize? Are the brake linings an oversize thickness made just for oversize drums? Are standard linings being used with a oversize drums and short pushrods being used-this can cause wheel cyinder cup leakage or at it's worst the piston and pin actually pop out!!!!You won't know till you assemble the brakes:rolleyes:Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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