1930 733: Repairing brake support and arm

[34PackardRoadsta]

Dear All,

I am now working on the front brakes and steering. I have included some photos, each labeled with a letter. Below I will be referencing these.

All questions relate to the brake support and arm from the driver's side (fig A).

1) I found some old leather (?) seals (fig . What is a good replacement for these? Can I use O-rings?

2) The ball socket appears worn (fig C), and the ball has some roughness due to corrosion. Any good info on repairing this?

3) The arm shaft fits into the support bracket (Fig D), which has a bushing. Both the arm shaft (fig E) and the bushing (fig F) show a considerable amount of scoring. Can this bushing be removed and an oversized bushing fitted? Is it safe to grind the shaft and fit an oversized bushing?

It really looks like the Bijur system failed for part on side of the car. The passenger side mechanism shows only a small amount of wear.

Any and all help is very much appreciated.

Best Regards,

Tom

[Guest imported_Speedster]

I've never seen or heard of that assembly in that Bad a condition. I would first try to locate another one, but If you can't, then I suppose the next step would be to talk to someone that has done similar repairs and see what they suggest. I can think of ways to fill the worn areas (such as durable 2 part epoxy) but would probably only be temporary fixes and to do a more permanent fix is gonna take some special equipment. Such as have the worn part Electro-plated and then cut to tolerance, or maybe the Hot-Spray-plating that was discussed in a recent thread, but there may be too much metal worn away to use the plating processes?

[Restorer32]

We would turn down the shaft and fit an oversized (actually undersized) bushing. These parts are so overbuilt that I doubt there would be any problem with it being weak. Alternative would be to fill the damaged areas with weld and turn or grind to original size. I would not suggest any repair using epoxy etc.

[34PackardRoadsta]

Thanks all. How about the seals? Can I use O-rings?

Tom

[Guest imported_Speedster]

I assume your talking about the seals where the shaft goes thru the support-bracket, that mounts on framerail. If I remember correctly those seals look more like washers than an O-ring, correct? I do remember that the shaft mounting bolt, that goes in end of shaft, is also the seal clamping bolt, that has to be tightened to make a good oil seal. Maybe rubber donuts, cut from rubber-sheet, would be better?

Sorry, I can't remember exactly what the seal looks like, I thought I had a drawing of them in a manual but couldn't find it.

[34PackardRoadsta]

Rick,

The seals I'm in need of are pictured on the end of the ball shaft in figure B above. There are two seals on this piece, one small and one larger.

There is also a seal on the end of the arm shaft (not pictured). I am pretty sure I can reproduce that one in leather or thick rubber sheeting. It is larger and I can use the arm shaft itself for a template.

Tom

[Guest imported_Speedster]

Oh okay, I think I would try to make that one from a silicone-rubber stopper, shortened to fit. The type stopper used to seal chemistry test-tubes, etc. They are available in many different diameters and they are also available with a hole already in the center.

Have you determined where the oil line was Plugged? I'm wondering if they forgot to drill an oil hole in one of the components (like maybe the support-bracket), since it looks like it Never got any oil to any of the components of the assembly?

[34PackardRoadsta]

I have not finished the work on the Bijur system, so I don't know where the block occurred. I am thinking that it was actually a mistaken attempt to grease those fittings, as I found hardened grease in the oil line leading to the arm support. But that is just a hunch right now.

Tom