Trouble installing new handbrake band on 48 DeSoto

[MarcDeSoto]

Has anyone ever installed a new handbrake band?  I put a new one on and it is so tight it locks up the output shaft.  

[DonaldSmith]

The thickness of the handbrake band is critical.  I had my band relined locally, after verifying that they had the appropriately thin material.  No problems getting the band  reinstalled. 

[desoto1939]

Here is some info from my Thermoid Brake catalog on the brake bands

 

 

Hope this is helpful. Are you sure that you have the correct emergency brake band for your car?????

 

 

Rich Hartung

[MarcDeSoto]

I'm pretty sure.  It looks identical to the old one.  Actually, there is nothing wrong with the old one.  I could just reinstall it.  My question is when you install it, is there a way to adjust the band outward, or just inward?  

 

 

[MarcDeSoto]

[MarcDeSoto]

Maybe, the band seem tighter because I don't have the hold back spring on the lever yet?  

[harmony]

1 hour ago, MarcDeSoto said:

I'm pretty sure.  It looks identical to the old one.  Actually, there is nothing wrong with the old one.  I could just reinstall it.  My question is when you install it, is there a way to adjust the band outward, or just inward?  

 

 

Basically it just adjusts inward.  Starting with the centre bolt on the far side.  You're looking for about 18-20 th. clearance.

[harmony]

1 hour ago, MarcDeSoto said:

Maybe, the band seem tighter because I don't have the hold back spring on the lever yet?  

I recently did mine and without anything hooked up, I had oodles of room between the drum and the lining.

[harmony]

Assuming your Desoto transmission is exactly the same as mine, here are a couple precautionary points I'll mention when reassembling the hand brake. 

If you took the mounting bracket off the transmission, be careful to put the two bolts back in the proper holes.  One bolt hole goes straight through into the transmission cavity.  The other bolt hole bottoms out in the casing.  So the bolt that goes in the hole that goes right through the trans case, you'll see a chamfer at the start of the threads in the transmission case.  On the bolt that threads in that hole, you'll see a rubber seal with the matching chamfer.  Other than that the bolts look the same. Push come to shove if that rubber seal is destroyed you can use an appropriate size O-ring instead.

 

The other point of interest is that the 2 springs ( p/n 4-07-04 in your diagram ) are different lengths.  At least they are on mine and when I studied it, they have to be different lengths, so it is a bit of a head scratcher as to why they are the same part number in the parts manual.  One is 3/16" longer and naturally I put mine in wrong the first time and nothing lined up.  That's when I grabbed my tape measure and realized they were different lengths.

 

[Conn47D24]

Marc,  there are three different adjustments.   I followed the service manual on these and got it lined up.

 

Do you have a manual?

[MarcDeSoto]

yes, I have the shop manual.  It gives about one paragraph on how to make an adjustment on it.  thanks.  

[Bryan G]

I spent a lot of time adjusting mine; it was either too loose and wouldn't hold the car or too tight and would drag too much. I found a stiffer pullback spring helped. Take a look how much a little pressure fore/aft on the brake cable can make a big difference at the shoe. I replaced my band with a new one which matched the old one well but still doesn't fit as well as I'd like. I actually crawled under again the night before last and adjusted the bolt a bit to tighten it up some more as it was still wanting to roll on a slight incline.

[DJK]

With mine set at the proper clearance, the first road test resulted in a horrible burning smell and lots of smoke. Allowed to cool down, recheck clearance, road test again, been good for 3k miles.

[Dodgeb4ya]

On 3/17/2022 at 2:55 PM, MarcDeSoto said:

 

Edited June 25, 2022 by Dodgeb4ya

[MarcDeSoto]

Thanks for telling me that.  I got this pic from my 46-50 DeSoto shop manual.  You'd think they would put the right picture in the manual!  

[Tired iron]

Hey Marc,

Did you get your handbrake figured out?. I just put a new brake band on mine and have the same issue...just too tight!

 

For starters, it's too thick where  you slide the brake band in between the transmission bracket and the drum. I can force the band in there, but then I dont have any clearance and its pretty tight to turn the drum.

[MarcDeSoto]

No I haven't been working on it lately.  But I see I'm not the only one having trouble with this handbrake.  

[chris 48 P15]

on my 48 p15 did the 3 point adjustment for e brake as per manual 

bolt or screw number 4-06-3 is a flathead and needed screwdriver to adjust nuts lock it in

  

[keithb7]

I sent my brake band to local rebuilder. Right off the top he said, "I know I don't have the proper thickness brake material. All that I can get is either too thick or too thin. It's difficult to source. I have not been able to get some for a long time. If you want it right, I will cut a thin metal spacer band. It will go behind the material and shim it to the proper thickness needed". I was grateful and indeed gave him my permission to build the shim, and make it right. He did so. It was a great fit. The brake works awesome. 

When I first installed it, I too set it too close to the drum. 15 minutes into a drive I could smell this odd burning odor. At a stop light I saw smoke drifting up aside my door window. I immediately pulled over. I rolled under the car, in the gravel. I cut the lock wire off and backed out the adjustment screws. All good, until I got home later and set it up properly. That was 3 years ago and its been great ever since.

 

Good chance, based on this info, the aftermarket sellers today aren't going the extra step to shim it. I'd wager there are plenty of folks out there buying aftermarket relined driveline brake pads that perform mediocre at best. Too thick material it won't fit. Too small, it won't work all that good. 

 

I have found some aftermarket sellers to be pretty dirty. Be careful.

Edited June 26, 2022 by keithb7

[Tired iron]

Mine is too thick (said the papa bear). I suppose I can grind some off...kinda hate to do that, tho. One other option would be to oval thr holes where the ebrake bracket is bolted to the tail piece of the transmission. That way i could move it down a bit thereby creating more clearance for the brake band. Irritating, tho, cause it cost me 65 bucks and for that price you kinds think it would be correct.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Just did one on a 47 Chrysler T&C  ..told the reliner lining cannot be thicker than factory  .156".   Fits fine....shown is the shop that did the leaky seal and speedi-sleeve job not so good.

Brake band got soaked with 10 weight oil.

Same job as a 1946-48 DeSoto with the M-5 trans shown.

Edited June 27, 2022 by Dodgeb4ya

[Sniper]

9 hours ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

told the reliner lining cannot be thicker than factory  .156".

 

Looking around, I see 1/8" (.125) and 3/16" (.1875) linings, so too small or too big is the option, unless you shim like Keith mentioned.

[Tired iron]

Good info, thanks everyone. I'll post back when I complete a work-around.

[Dodgeb4ya]

6 hours ago, Sniper said:

 

Looking around, I see 1/8" (.125) and 3/16" (.1875) linings, so too small or too big is the option, unless you shim like Keith mentioned.

Good brake reliners can quickly adjust oversize band lining to required spec thickness using a spindle drum grinder.

Most don't realize say .030" or a little more matters.

.156" material was available by our Brake and Clutch Supply shop thru the 80's.

If they have to.... they grind it to the required spec. thickness now.

[MarcDeSoto]

I bought a replacement hand brake band in the 80s.  It must be one of those too thick linings.  Luckily, my original hand brake band is still good, so I think I'm just going to re-install it.