Front Achor Bolt Adjustment

[grey beard]

I just completed the front brake job on my B1B. The front shoes are retained by two anchor bolts that are also the major shoe adjustment. Problem is that these same two adjusting bolts hold the steering arms to the spindles. What with the weight of the arms and the tie rods and linkage, it is almost impossible to turn these bolts to make the major shoe adjustments without removing the drum each time adjustment is made.

In the course of working through this process, I hit on a method that worked fine for me, and wish to pass along to the rest of you. After the shoes are installed and you are ready to adjust them, remove both castle nuts from the anchor golts and install the first one backwards, with the castle inward, with about three threads showing past the end. Then istal lthe second nut with the castle out - away from the backing plate. This effectively gives you two flat nut surfaces against each other that you can now jamb tight on the anchor bolt threads.

Using a wrench, you can now adjust this one anchor bolt. Use the same procedure for the second bolt, using both nuts. When you are finuished with this, keep a firm eye on the cotter pin hole in the anchore bolrt so it doesn't turn, while you remove both nuts and reinstall each on its own anchor bolt. After they are sorqued, secure them with new cotter pins. Works fine for me. LOL:)

[Merle Coggins]

Good idea Dave. I was able to loosen the nuts and reinsert a new cotter pin (without bending over the ends). Then when I turned the nuts with a wrench, it also turned the adjusters. Once adjusted, I removed the cotter pin, tightened the nuts and reinstalled the cotter pins. I did, however, remove the drum again to hold the adjustment pins while tightening the nuts, as a precaution.

Merle