Ammco Brake Guage

[Dennis_MN]

There was a recent thread on the car side called "Maiden Voyage" One of the later postings showed pictures of the Ammco Tool for adjusting the brakes. I saved the pictures and read the instructions.

My question is whether this is the tool needed to adjust the brakes properly on my '49 Pilot House.

Thanks

Dennis Sullivan

[Young Ed]

Yup Dennis should be the same one. I've been trying to buy one for a while now but they are spendy.

[grey beard]

Dennis,

The tech tips section covers a method for brake adjustment without the tool. We'd all like to have an Aamco, but they are pure hens' teeth around here. What you need to know is that each shoe has two adjustments - that's four adjustments per wheel. If you are doing a brake job on a Pilothouse, be careful with the front brake assembly. The anchor bolts that must be adjusted for major shoe setting also hold the steering spindle arms. The only way I was able to adjust my own was to install and remove the drum about ten times, for these bolts can only be adjusted from inside the durm. If you had a junk drum, you could cut a hole in it and solve the problem right away. AND don't forget to tighten those spindle bolts and put cotter pins in the bolts after all your front adjusting is done. JMHO. Lots of luch.

[Dennis_MN]

Thanks that was just the information I was looking for. I do happen to have an extra drum that I can use as a tool. I've had those front wheels off 4 or 5 times because of adjustment issues so I know the pain of holding them while tightning those suckers. 9/16 isn't very big but maybe I can cut a slot for the wrench as well as cutting a hole.

I printed the pictures so just incase I see one around I'll snap it up (as long as it doesn't cost too many hens teeth.

Dennis Sullivan

[Merle Coggins]

When I adjusted mine I was able to loosen the nuts, for the front adjusters, and reinsert a new cotter pin. Then I could turn the adjustment pin using the nut. Once adjusted I pulled the drum back off to hold the pin while tightening the nuts. Worked like a champ and didn't have to remove the drum numerous times like Dave mentioned.

Merle

[greg g]

Go to the Graham Paige club website and then go to the tech section. Their brakes are very similar to MOPAR. There is a home made gauge shown being used, and a verbal how to on how to make the gauge. Some plywood, some nuts, screws and some threaded rod comprise the list of needed materials.

http://www.graham-paige.com/

[Dennis_MN]

Thats a good looking tool, and one that I could make with my equipment.

The original thread on the car side shows a similar tool made out of metal but it uses a dial indicator to check for adjustment. I've saved the pictures for both of these versions. As I understand the problem is that with the 4 adjustments, it becomes iffy to get 100% contact on the brake surface.

Several have suggested adding some lines on the brake surface with a sharpie marker and reassemble, drive and stop for a day and then check the sharpie lines again. If some of the lines are still there, you have an adjustment problem.

Dennis

[Don Coatney]

You can also use a flangette and bearing as pictured to make a tool for the front spindles. Instructions to do so can be found on the main page supporting this forum.

[Young Ed]

Hey Dennis Make 2 and I'll be down to get the spare

[greg g]

Some one also suggested cutting a slot in a drum, the slot allows you to insert a feeler gauge between the shoe and drum and check the clearence as you make adjustments and rotate the drum. One slot on a front drum and one on a rear, and swap them from side to side as you do your adjustments.

[Guest Nile Limbaugh]

I ran into an interesting situation on my 37. I tried 'setting' the brakes by ear, as suggested elsewhere. I had a rather spongy feel to the brakes, but they stopped well enough. Finally, after a couple of hundred miles, I pulled the drums, made a gauge of sorts and checked things. Surprise! The drums had been turned but the new shoes were stock size. It is impossible to get full contact until I wear a heck of a lot off of the shoes!. So, question one is: where does one get oversized shoes; question two is; how do you turn them to the right size without a gauge???

[Rich Gengo]

Back in my younger days when my father had his gas station we had an Ammco brake lathe and a shoe grinder next to it. You would cut the drum and then mic. it up, dial that reading in the shoe grinder and arc the shoe to fit the drum. Worked great but like everything else in life they found out that dust will kill you. So it might be tough to find someone who has the tools to do it. I always but the shoes up against the drums on any brake job to check to see how they fit first . Should fit at least 3/4 of the shoe in the middle out. If they touch on the ends only and not the center your in trouble. Drum should not be cut more then 60 thou. over.

[Zeke1953]

I have almost completed a total brake replacement on my '53 3/4 ton stakebody. The brakes are still a little spongy so I suspect there is some air left in the system, but I'm proud to say that all my double flares seem to be good. As to the adjustment, I have an AMMCO gauge, so it went a lot easier, but not perfect; there are at least two different models of this tool, but that's a different subject.

I think the tool described in the Graham website would work fine on our brakes as would the one Don Coatney describes. The only other thing I would do is to get a caliper to measure the inside diameter of the brake drums (Eastwood sells them) and then set the tool at 1/2 of that measurement to get the radius. Remember that the clearance with the shoes fully retracted is only supposed to be .006" (.012" for the front toes, I think). The minor adjustment cams move the shoes in and out, but the anchor bolts at the heels are really cams that move the heels both up and out or down and in when turned.

If you use the tool to get the shoes concentric with the drum with just enough clearance to slide the drum on. Then use the minor adjusters to fine tune the fit.

Hope this is helpful. Sooner or later, we all need to adjust those brakes! Zeke