What do I have

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GSXcite

GSXcite

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I have tried everything I know to do to get the brakes working on my 66 barracuda. The car is all original, 36K mile car, 273 v8, not a commando, with power brakes. I sent the booster to booster Dewey twice for rebuild, but could never get the brakes to release after applying them. I eventually got rid of the power brakes and installed a manual dual pot master cyl. From doctor differential. Brakes will release now but make scraping noise, pulsate like a drum is out of round although I had them all turned. I installed new wheel cylinders, hoses and shoes even though the original shoes have very little wear being the car only has 36K miles. The factory brochure lists two different 9" configurations. I matched up the new shoes on the front and rear to the originals, and they were a perfect match. I measured the front drum though, and it is 10", see pictures. Any thoughts on what I can do to get brakes on this mopar to work?
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A factory 273 car that year should have 10" brakes front and rear. What doesn't work now?
 
9" shoes inside a 10" drum probably wouldn't do much to stop the car, but I don't know if it's even physically possible.
 
Yeah, something like that. It might be a good idea to compare the way the shoes are installed with the pictures in the FSM. While he says he installed them exactly the way they were, it is entirely possible the previous owner had them installed incorrectly (head to foot, or with springs crossed over wrong).
 
Yeah, some photo of the shoes installed might help. The original owner probably blew up the old rear axle and had a used one installed that has the smaller brakes. I've seen a few mismatches like that through the years. It shouldn't be all that tough to find a set of 10" rear backing plates for a 7 1/4. I've seen several of those rear ends offered for free lately.
 
cudamark said:
A factory 273 car that year should have 10" brakes front and rear. What doesn't work now?
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The new shoes are 10"X2 1/4". Drums say Max dia. 10.060. I had the drums turned. The drums showed no deep grooves when I had them turned, so I don't think it took much. The car acts like the drum is out of round, pulls, makes noise. I have tried adjusting both ways and no change. Ongoing to have the drums turned again at a different place just to check if they are out of round. Other than that, I think I might just put the original asbestos shoes back on, they almost look new as the car only has 36K miles on it.
 
mvh said:
Yeah, something like that. It might be a good idea to compare the way the shoes are installed with the pictures in the FSM. While he says he installed them exactly the way they were, it is entirely possible the previous owner had them installed incorrectly (head to foot, or with springs crossed over wrong).
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I'm the third owner, my dad was the 2 ND. I don't think it ever had brake work. I did compare to the factory manual. They are 10" shoes.
 
GSXcite said:
I'm the third owner, my dad was the 2 ND. I don't think it ever had brake work. I did compare to the factory manual. They are 10" shoes.
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Both front and rear? Why were you talking about 9" brakes then?
 
10 shoes on 10 drums...that's the ticket. Make sure the return springs are good. The shoes are properly mounted and the adjuster is correct. Asbestos (extinct) shoes will give you a nice "velvet" brake application but will fade. Modern shoes will work fine.
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pishta said:
10 shoes on 10 drums...that's the ticket. Make sure the return springs are good. The shoes are properly mounted and the adjuster is correct. Asbestos (extinct) shoes will give you a nice "velvet" brake application but will fade. Modern shoes will work fine.
View attachment 1715737866View attachment 1715737867View attachment 1715737865
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Thank you for the pictures. On mine, I have the last return spring going over the post. Looks like it might be contacting the shaft coming out of the wheel cylinder. I will try to turn it over and see if it still makes contact. That would cause the front shoe to not return for sure.
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No way to turn the long upper spring over and make it work. It looks correct.
 
GSXcite said:
The factory brochure only listed 9 inch drum brakes for a 66. That's what confused me.
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The V8's got 10" drum brakes as standard equipment that year, with an option for disc brakes up front.
 
Like I asked before, what is not working now? Just the brake pulsation when they're applied?
 
cudamark said:
Like I asked before, what is not working now? Just the brake pulsation when they're applied?
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And that has to be a drum. Should be able to figure out which one by spinning the wheel by hand.
 
cudamark said:
No way to turn the long upper spring over and make it work. It looks correct.
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Yes, I tried to switch it, no can do. Other side looks like the same spring, and I did one side then the other so I wouldn't get parts mixed up. Everything flush.
 
cudamark said:
Like I asked before, what is not working now? Just the brake pulsation when they're applied?
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Scraping sound, not releasing all the way I think. I would do the upgrade to disk, but I'm trying to keep it as stock as possible. I did install this from Dr. Differential when I went from power to manual.

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Brake shoe width is 2 1/4" front and
1 3/4" rear if I am not mistaken.
 
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