Self Adjusting Brake Operation

[barlowjames]

Driving a 62 Monza that I have owned for a little over a year.

Very happy with the handling, for a 60 plus year old car, and have not noticed anything until this past week. I'm a cruiser in that and have never driven over 50 MPH. This past week I got close and needed to stop quickly and I felt that the front end pulled to the right a bit with the sudden braking.

Broke out the Shop Manual thinking I needed to adjust the brakes and discovered that the 62 had the self adjusting.

In reading the manual it explains that the adjustment only happens when driving and stopping in reverse, which I rarely if ever do because of how I park in front of my house.

Make final adjustment be making numerous forward and reverse stops, apply brakes with a firm pedal effort until a satisfactory brake pedal height results.

Does anyone have a better explanation on how to do this then the single sentence in manual about driving back and forth.

My thinking was to drive to the high school parking lot this weekend and play around with driving back and forth but it's either not clear to me or I am other thinking this.

Do you have to drive forward after each stop or can I just start and stop driving backwards to make this work?
By firm pressure do I need to stomp on the brakes and stop quickly or is it a more gentle stop?
Is there a speed that I need to reach for this work or does any reverse motion count?

[jjohnsonjo]

No need for speed. You can do it in your driveway. 5/10 is enough. It adjusts during the rear stop, but you MUST go both ways for it to adjust. Hit the pedal quickly and firmly in each direction, but no need to stomp. The car should porpoise up and down in each direction. Also, may not be just an adjustment issue

[Frank DuVal]

[66vairguy]

FIRST --- if the car is pulling to one side during a fast stop it could be other issues and not the brakes out of adjustment. Yes if one drum is out of adjustment versus the other side it can "pull", but that indicates one side is self adjusting and the other side is not! So don't assume anything. The easiest thing to do is drive the car forward and revers stopping it to see if that fixes the "pulling" problem.

Basically what the manual said. You do NOT have to slam on the brakes in reverse, but a "firm" stop is needed. No need for a lot of speed. Just like backing down you driveway and FIRMLY applying the brakes, then forward a car length, stop, then back up a car length and stop. Keep in mind unless the pedal is getting near the floor during starting it should only take a couple back and forth tries.

I'm old so I have driven a number of cars with self adjusting drum brakes. When they work, they work fine - but ----

Over the decades things wear out, parts get changed, modifications are made, corrosion jambs the adjuster. Some have a strong dislike for self adjusting brakes because when they quit working they can be a challenge to fix. They simply make the brakes manual adjusting.

Also changing the drum brake shoes on a car with self adjusting brakes is more complicated. Certainly doable, but some just don't like dealing with the complexity of added springs and levers.

At this point your probably wondering if this is going to be a fiasco. Fact is I've never had a drum system I cold not make work fine, although I have had a few challenges. So don't get too far ahead of the problem. First try the back and forth adjustment. If that doesn't do it, then you need to pull the front wheels and drums off to do an inspection for wheel cylinder leaks or broken parts. Good luck.

[66vairguy]

I see jjohnson posted while I was "composing". Good post, sorry for repeating what he said.

[RexJohnson]

I always thought that the self adjusting started in '63? If it is a '62-'3 supplement it might being talking about just the '63 models.

[Wittsend]

Here is a GM video that states that the self adjusting brakes are "new" in 1963. It might be helpful to poster barlowjames to watch so there is understanding of what he is doing. If parts are broken, bent or bound (especially the threaded spreader) then the self adjuster will not function.

[toms73novass]

I always thought that the self adjusting started in '63? If it is a '62-'3 supplement it might being talking about just the '63 models.

My 62 Wagon is manual adjust, my 63 is self adjusting.

[flamingchariots]

If it pulls to the right, it could be the left front brake hose. Might look OK, but be swollen inside and not allowing sufficient brake fluid pressure at the wheel cylinder.

If anyone disagrees, feel free to correct me.

[66vairguy]

If it pulls to the right, it could be the left front brake hose. Might look OK, but be swollen inside and not allowing sufficient brake fluid pressure at the wheel cylinder.

If anyone disagrees, feel free to correct me.

Yes "soft" flexible lines can reduce brake fluid pressure, but they often prevent fluid from returning up the line to the MC causing the brake shows to not release, or drag, and overheats the brake shoe linings so that wheel doesn't grip as well during a stop.

[66vairguy]

I always thought that the self adjusting started in '63? If it is a '62-'3 supplement it might being talking about just the '63 models.

Rex, I believe you are correct, but after all these decades you find "swaps". Putting the self adjusting parts from a 63 on a 62 was popular at one time.

[Dennis66]

To add: My '62 does not have self adjusting brakes. As other say and I have read / seen they started in '63. That said, even if your car does have them, unless you have already had the drums off (and they're probably riveted to the hub like mine), any question is a good reason to pull the drums and inspect the brakes - shoes for possible contamination from grease or brake fluid, springs and linkages for free operation and worn or broken parts, cylinders for leaks (peel back rubber boot to see if fluid is beyond piston) and finally check those hoses for cracking and age. Again, just because hoses look good, doesn't mean they are good 9I just ordered a full set for mine). Also, if you haven't already the steel brake lines should also be checked as these tend to rust out with age. Dennis
P.S. If your '62 does not have the self adjusters, they can be added.

[Wittsend]

...
P.S. If your '62 does not have the self adjusters, they can be added.

Or..., one can change the meaning of "self" and adjust the brakes, them-SELF.

It is a good idea to pull the drums and have a look when things aren't working correctly. The poster will know if he has self adjusters or he might find an obvious cause of his problem. And if finding that he does not have self adjusters, well, the wheel is now jacked up and he can accomplish the task.

[Gasman63]

Did anyone say pull the tires and drums, inspect and adjust.

Seriously. Now if your not mechanically inclined it doesnt take many tools to pull the drums and adjust. I bet a few vids on youtube can be found on old chevy drum brakes.

[Dennis66]

My first breakdown on my first (driver) Corvair was a broken front brake spring. I knew nothing about cars. I could rebuild a lawnmower engine, and had helped do a couple of clutches, but knew nothing besides that. Within 6 months I was swapping engines and building cars. Dennis

[kmart356]

This is what i found when inspecting the brakes on our '63 Monza. It was pulling to one side under moderate braking effort.
The fluid had soaked onto the shoes and made a mess. You need to inspect the brakes as already pointed out
'62 Spyder has (had) manual adjust brakes.
.

Monza R-F brake.jpg (14 KiB) Viewed 575 times