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I’ve been fighting this problem for over a year and have run out of ideas. The background: ’63 with drum brakes. New drums, shoes, brake springs, wheel cylinders, hoses and lines. For the first 100 miles the brakes work perfectly. Then both right front shoes glaze over, loose stopping ability and the car pulls violently to the left. I can switch the glazed shoes and the problem moves to the other side. The glaze on the shoes is so thick it looks like it’s been painted on. If I bead blast off the glaze, the brakes work fine for another 100 miles, then it’s back. I’ve tried two different sets of drums, one set from Napa, the other NOS. I’ve have had the drums turned and have switched the drums from side to side; it’s not the drums. I’ve tried two different sets of Raybestos shoes, and yes, the short shoe is forward. New wheel cylinders and they don’t leak. I installed SpeedBleeders, there’s no air in the lines, and it has a strong pedal with no fade. Like I said, the first 100 miles, the brakes work flawlessly. What could possibly cause only the right front brake shoes to glaze over?
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Re: Glazed Brake Shoes Right Front Only
Ken, Is there a possible grease "leak" coming from a bearing, are the bearing seals in good condition? Other than this and what you have already tried covers my experience with drum brakes.
David Nims 19639 -
Re: Glazed Brake Shoes Right Front Only
This ought to be interesting!Comment
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Re: Glazed Brake Shoes Right Front Only
Are both the primary and secondary shoes glazed or just one of them?
I'm thinking the shoes are dragging. Check for massive wear on the backing plate contact points. When they get sufficiently groved, the shoes doen't retract evenly. If this is your issue, a little work with a welder and grinder does the trick.
Is the self adjuster over tightening?Comment
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Re: Glazed Brake Shoes Right Front Only
Hi Ken:
I heard that you had retired. If so, congratulations!
The brake problem you describe is not uncommon and my car does it too. I’ve talked to several other people on this board who have experienced the same or similar symptoms. My car under hard braking will pull so hard to the right that it literally leaps into the next lane. I do my best to anticipate and avoid panic stops because this behavior is so unsettling. I too have replaced almost everything in the wheel and drum area.
I’ve had other fish to fry so I haven’t gotten back into this problem but as I recall where I left off was looking for someone to “re-arc” my brake linings. There is done by a machine (re-arcing machine) supposedly no longer manufactured that grinds material off the shoes and arcs the shape of the shoes to more closely match the drum profile. That’s about all I know at the present, but before putting the project to sleep, I called several brake shops in the area and several of them still had arcing machines and said I should bring the drums and preferably a new set of shoes.
There’s a thread on this, probably about 9 months ago. You might try searching the archives.
How’s the ‘63 running otherwise?
Mike JonesComment
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Re: Glazed Brake Shoes Right Front Only
Make sure that the hose hasnt collapsed on the inside making the brakes hold on after being applied.Comment
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Re: Glazed Brake Shoes Right Front Only
Make sure that the auto-adjuster in facong the right direction in the right front. Sounds like the adjuster might be backwards in the right front, tightening the brake adjuster when you apply the brakes going forward rather than when you apply the brakes going in reverse.
Hope this helps, John.Comment
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Re: Glazed Brake Shoes Right Front Only
Are '63 brakes auto adjusting? I thought they required manual adjustment. Not sure.Comment
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Re: Glazed Brake Shoes Right Front Only
Yes, '63s have self adjusters, which will adjust the brakes, if necessary, when applying the brakes while moving in reverse for base and J-65. Z06 brakes self adjust when moving forward. '63 was the first year for self-adjusting brakes on Chevrolets.
DukeComment
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Re: Glazed Brake Shoes Right Front Only
Ken:
Did you flush/blow out the junction block that splits off of your master cylinder? Did you verify that both front wheel cylinders have the same bore diameter? Did you check for any restrictions in both of your steel front brake lines? If so, then it sounds like a mechanical rather than hydraulic problem, if you are also sure that there are no leaks. It also sounds like you have eliminated drums and shoes.
If you have not done so already, make sure that both front star wheels are self adjusting type (with the finer teeth). Also, check that both sides have the spring oriented the same way, relative to the star wheel, namely, that the wide section of the spring (coil end), should be contacting the star wheel to hold it in place, and prevent "auto adjusting".
JoeComment
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