1964 Drum brake self adjusters

[David R.]

When I disassembled the brakes on my 1964 Convertible, I discovered that the self adjuster levers and were missing on all four corners. I bought new levers and hardware from Corvette Central. The kit included an small clip (black phosphate finish) that I do not recognize.

The levers are an odd two piece arrangement. After searching, I could not find any good pictures on how the pieces fit together. Can anybody help me:

• With better pictures of how the levers fit together
• Tell me where the clip goes?

[Bob J.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

Looks like a brake drum adjusting hole plug.
Bob Jorjorian

[Dan H.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

Clip is a plug for the adjusting knockout slot. 63 shop manual has some pictures of brakes after assembly etc. Follow the directions for preliminary adjustments in the manual, good luck!
Dan

[David R.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

That's what I thought, but it is loose and sloppy in the adjusting hole............

[Joe L.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

When I disassembled the brakes on my 1964 Convertible, I discovered that the self adjuster levers and were missing on all four corners.

David-------


Once-upon-a-time there were guys that thought that brake self adjusters were "new-fangled" things that caused more problems and did nothing useful. So, they removed the self-adjusters and, thus, converted the brakes to old-style manual adjust only. That's probably why you found yours as you did.

[Patrick C.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

I just took my front drums off my 1964 today I will get you a picture tonight.

[Patrick C.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

Does this work?

[Patrick C.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

This is the passenger side front wheel

[David R.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

Patrick, Thank You!!! A picture is worth a thousand words!!

[Patrick C.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

I hope it helps and i hope mine are together correctly. I have never driven this car yet.

[David R.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

Yours look correct. Since I did not have adjusters to reference, I did not understand where the spring on the adjuster lever was installed. I have my front "corner" assemblies on the shelf ready for installation on the chassis. I went back and reworked the adjusters on both.

I still need to assemble the rear swing arms. I have the hub and bearings assembled. I need to bolt them to the control arms next, then assemble the brakes.

[Doug L.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

Its been 3 years since I assembled my '64 so I don't recall exactly how things went back together but a photo of my brake setup is slightly different from the photo from Patrick, i.e. the angle of the black spring at 10 o'clock and the spring on a bar disappearing behind the center hub at 2 o'clock, that I think holds the 2 shoes apart.

[Frank D.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

That flat steel bar with the spring is only on the rear brakes as you've shown -- the prior pic was a front brake setup.
Your black spring also looks to be installed a little more optimally then the one in the first pic ... sometimes you just do what you have to do to get them on though.

[Patrick C.]

Re: 1964 Drum brake self adjusters

As an engineer I would not design a spring installation that looked like mine. My car is a fuelie that has been setting in a garage since 1987 and i am getting it back on the road. I have been writing a series of articles on this car on the NCRS Oklahoma newsletter.