Self Adjusting Brake Hardware

[Dan D.]

Self Adjusting Drum Brakes were incorporated for 63/64 model years. Does anyone know if these will fit on C1s, namely 1957?

Our suppliers offer hardware kits that look like they have all the necessary parts and I would like to put them on my 57 if possible. Don't like the pedal going low and have to spoon these things.

-Dan D-

[Frank D.]

Re: Self Ajusting Brake Hardware

Yes, they will (Tom Parsons) a long time Corvette Forum member has done it successfully.
There is one minor issue with the anchor pin plate though, IIRC it needs to be "thinned" out to allow the extra spring to seat (you can grind an original or else buy a thinner one).

Here is all you need to know from a top expert on C1s:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...o-my-62-a.html

[Dan D.]

Re: Self Ajusting Brake Hardware

Thank You Frank,

Yes, I know Tom is very helpful, and an overall very good guy. I have had conversations before with him.

I read his PDF on installing self adjusters. Excellent write-up; that is all I need. I did not realize that I needed the spring kits too, so I will order them.

-Dan-

[Dan D.]

Re: Self Ajusting Brake Hardware

Follow up to this thread:

I bought the kits and I am installing them. I have just one concern. That is the override spring appears to be much larger and stronger than what I see in some previous threads on this forum. What is supplied is a gorilla spring and I just don't see how anything in that brake assembly could ever pull on that spring at all. It is a bear. It is 9/16 coil diameter and the wire size is .103.

As an experiment I went down to my local hardware store and bought a weaker spring of the same length, just to try it. The photo shows both springs installed on the lever and pivot assembly, the supplied spring on the left and the hardware spring on the right, with just the supplied spring in the middle.

Does this spring look correct? Everything else looks okay. Perhaps Tom Parsons, if he is on the forum, could respond.

Thanks for helping.

-Dan-


20210622_084149.jpg

[Frank D.]

Re: Self Ajusting Brake Hardware

You'll want the stronger spring that came in the kit, here is a pic of my 63 spring and a video on how they should operate (a blast from the past)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6qTqJ-tdrE&t=334s

I think there is more force at work there than you realize..