<VV> Re: VirtualVairs digest, Vol 1 #1212 - 12 msgs

[Dale Dewald]

At 04:22 PM 10/20/04 -0400, Joe Potts wrote:

>      This continues a campaign of mine to eliminate pulling to one side in
>my 66 Corsa's brakes. I have replaced all springs, one leaking wheel
>cylinder, and shoes with carbon-Kevlar. The question has to do with the
>usefulness of and problems caused by knocking out the knockouts in the drums
>provided for purposes of initial adjustment of the (stock) self-adjusting 
>shoes.

I did this 25 years ago on my '66 Corsa after I completely rebuilt the 
brakes.  I had taken out the automatic adjusters and punched out the 
knockouts so I could manually adjust them at every tire rotation.  There 
was no problem with this procedure at all, but I think I was able to fine 
tune the adjustment manually for a little less drag than the automatic 
adjusters could.

>      I assume it isn't difficult to knock them out.

I used a small cold chisel and a 24 oz ball pein hammer.  Hit it like you 
mean it.

>  Once they are out, are
>the brakes significantly more prone to getting wet or otherwise
>contaminated? The spring kits came with rubber plugs of a type I have used
>in the backing plates of many other cars (including my 1961 Corvair with
>manual-adjusting brakes). They look like they would fit the holes in the
>drums. Do they work well in the drums?

For a while I did not have the rubber plugs.  I could detect no difference 
with regard to moisture or dirt intrusion.  I eventually found some rubber 
plugs and put them in, but it didn't seem to make any difference.  The 
stock LM brakes are awesome--they will stop as fast or faster than most 
modern cars.

>      Does use of the holes significantly improve the evenness of the
>(initial) adjustments on the brake shoes? Or is it just as effective to put
>them in with a little extra clearance and finalize them by backing up and
>applying the brakes a few times?

You could do the same thing without punching out the knockouts, providing 
that there is no ridge on the inboard edge of the drums that would prevent 
you from slipping them on and off as you fiddled with the adjusters.

>      I appreciate all comments based on actual experience of Corvairs with
>self-adjusting brakes, particularly late models.

On the same car I later had problems with pulling to the right side. The 
pull would be greatest with light to moderate application of the brakes. In 
a panic stop the brakes pulled evenly.  Then I discovered a small seep in 
the right front wheel cylinder--only a few drops on the shoe.  A new wheel 
cylinder and pads solved the problem.

Dale Dewald
Hancock, (UP) MI