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Discussion Topic:
'38 brake spring colors and floaters
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Tim I |
10-01-2010 @ 7:12 AM
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Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Apr 2010
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I'm finally ready to put my brakes back together. The instructions for the floaters say to use the black springs on the rear, and the red springs on the front so that the equal spring tension will allow the shoes to center. The thing is, my four brake springs at each wheel are black, green, red, and orange. Can I assume that the black and green should go together and the red and the orange go together?
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ford38v8 |
10-01-2010 @ 5:28 PM
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Senior
Posts: 2759
Joined: Oct 2009
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Tim, Those instructions don't make sense to me, as they don't indicate primary & secondary shoes. Normally, the secondary shoe will have black on top and green on bottom, and the primary will have red on top and orange on bottom. The secondary shoe is on top at the front brakes and on the bottom at the rear brakes. To understand this, the cable runs along roughly parallel to the secondary shoe. As the floaters do require equal springs, the only way to do this properly is in the manner of the 1939 brakes, where there is a single shoe return spring ( 91A 2035) connecting both shoes at the top, rather than two independent springs connected to the backing plate. This spring replaces the red and black springs in the original Ford setup, which were on top. The original bottom springs, orange and green, remain in their original position. Alan
This message was edited by ford38v8 on 10-1-10 @ 5:46 PM
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Tim I |
10-01-2010 @ 9:30 PM
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Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Apr 2010
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Hi Alan, Thanks for your response. That makes sense. I think the instrictions must have just been referring to the top (return) springs (red and black) and so the bottom springs (green and orange) would stay in their original positions on the primary and secondary shoes. By using the black return springs on both primary and secondary on the back, and red on both primary and secondary on the front as instrtucted, presumably the tension would be the same and so allow the shoes to center, right? I could order the 91A 2035 springs, but it would set me back another week. Do you think just using black on the back and red on the front would work as well, or should I "spring" for the 91A 2035s? Thanks again. Tim
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ford38v8 |
10-02-2010 @ 12:30 AM
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Senior
Posts: 2759
Joined: Oct 2009
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Tim, I thought of that after I posted, and yes, that would work, but would be, in my opinion, not the best way to go, as no two independent springs are truly equal. You would always have one shoe on each wheel drag, even if only a small amount. Whichever way you go, use a cutoff wheel to remove the adjusters from the wedges, to be reinstalled on the backing plates. Also, replace the dust caps inside.
Alan
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Tim I |
10-02-2010 @ 10:28 AM
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Member
Posts: 73
Joined: Apr 2010
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Alan, You're right. I'll go ahead and order the later springs. I'll replace the other springs while I'm at it. As usual, you've been a great help. Thanks! Tim
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