<VV> another brake question--'61 Lakewood

Bill & Chris Strickland lechevrier at q.com
Sun Aug 5 14:13:47 EDT 2012


> Try adjusting them tighter.

If you are new to adjusting brakes, sometimes it is helpful to actually 
adjust them up until the brakes are locked up (you can't turn the tire 
any longer) and then back the adjustment off three clicks or so -- on 
self adjusters, you will need to put an extra tool through the hole to 
hold the self adjuster cam off the star wheel while you turn it back 
with a different tool.

Worn suspension bushings do not often cause brake pull, but they may 
cause alignment changes while you are braking -- sway bar bushing wear 
should have no effect.

Generally a pull felt in the steering wheel will be front brakes, but 
not always -- replace all four brakes hoses as a set!  If you needed to 
replace the front ones, you need to replace the rears for the same 
reasoning, and vice versa.  Every ten years, so a 1961car should be on 
it's fifth full set of hoses!  Third set would indicate a lust for 
living dangerously and liking to gamble, and original hoses is just 
plain not very smart.

Oil or grease contaminated linings will also cause pulls, but they are 
"grabby" pulls, not gentle ones -- greasy hands from packing bearings 
then handling shoes will do it, as well as leaky grease seals and brake 
fluid -- contaminated shoes, even if new, are cores for relining, 
nothing more.  Once contaminated, they CAN NOT be decontaminated!

Probably more as I read the rest of these posts,

Bill Strickland


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