Automatic Brake Adjusters

-
dodgedart1968

dodgedart1968

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2021
Messages
184
Reaction score
44
Location
Amston, CT
My '68 Dart has automatic brake adjusters. The FSM states that '68 is the first year for that feature. My recollection from my drum brake days is that the adjusters were more of a nuisance than a useful feature.

I am completely rebuilding my brakes and contemplating not reinstalling the adjuster hardware. Would this cause any problems with the functionality of the brakes?
 
Self-adjusters are relatively maintenance-free if installed correctly. If they were a maintenance issue they wouldn't have remained in use by virtually all manufacturers for decades- they're still in use if you have a vehicle utilizing rear drums.
To me it's more of a nuisance to have to jack your driver up and manually readjust the brakes every month or so...
 
My 67 dart has self adjusters, my mom's 65 mustang, my 63 econoline, infact EVERY car I have ever owned has had them EXCEPT my 70 Volkswagen bug.

On my bug I got really good at double pumping the brake pedal to have some brakes EXCEPT this one time when a joker pulled a left turn infront of me. No time to double pump. Hit the brakes slowed but was not stopping, I had to pull into the left turn pocket he just came out of to not hit him.

Thank you NASCAR,
DO NOT TURN TO WHERE THE WRECKING CAR WILL BE, TURN TO WHERE IT WAS!

I would never get rid of self adjusters. Just be sure they are installed correctly, and remember they make the adjustment when you are backing up, so tap the brake a few times while you are backing.
 
If you seriously whack someone, and the DMV finds selective missing brake parts, it might be a problem?
 
dodgedart1968 said:
My '68 Dart has automatic brake adjusters. The FSM states that '68 is the first year for that feature. My recollection from my drum brake days is that the adjusters were more of a nuisance than a useful feature.

I am completely rebuilding my brakes and contemplating not reinstalling the adjuster hardware. Would this cause any problems with the functionality of the brakes?
Click to expand...


I don't like the late 60's style brake adjuster, but the early 70's works fine... I just tell the parts guy that I want shoes, spring kit, and hardware kit for a 72 duster and I get the right parts...

The late 60's brakes have the bottom heavy spring that brings the shoes together going to the top of the adjuster bracket... I think that's too much pressure for the bracket... I like the 72 series where the bottom spring goes from one shoe to the other and you have the spring for the adjuster on the cable that goes to the top pin of the mounting plate...
 
krazykuda said:
I don't like the late 60's style brake adjuster, but the early 70's works fine... I just tell the parts guy that I want shoes, spring kit, and hardware kit for a 72 duster and I get the right parts...

The late 60's brakes have the bottom heavy spring that brings the shoes together going to the top of the adjuster bracket... I think that's too much pressure for the bracket... I like the 72 series where the bottom spring goes from one shoe to the other and you have the spring for the adjuster on the cable that goes to the top pin of the mounting plate...
Click to expand...
Thx for the suggestion.
 
Keep the adjusters! They keep the brakes adjusted uniformly & the pedal high.
 
In the past I have had trouble with the auto adjusting stuff. I totally agree with what crazy cuda said above. I just redid all the brakes on a 64 330 and left all that stuff off. I dont mind adjusting the brakes once in a while. I suppose they work fine most the time but i just dont trust them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top