Different length to parking brake levers

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Monaro

Monaro

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I have finally got my car (69 Cuda) sorted except for rear 11" brakes. I need them to be fully overhauled including drums ( I adapter Ford 11" drums to fit -cost of drums and freight from US would make you faint ) The problem is that the parking brake levers were missing when I got the car, I thought that it might be handy to have a parking brake so I went to local Valiant dealer and picked up a set (suite 69 8 3/4 slippery diff) went to install brakes but found that with lever in place cannot get top of shoes to come together, remove lever no problems. On the package it says: 'Parking brake strut lever 1965-79-all 11" brakes' As my car is a 'bitsa' maybe the diff/brakes are from a later model so my question is are the parking brake levers from later than 1970 shorter than 65-70 models? - I hope it is otherwise I might have to go back to using a brick as a parking brake (public holiday over here so I can't ring shop.):banghead:
Cheers,
Monaro.
 
Monaro said:
I thought that it might be handy to have a parking brake so I went to local Valiant dealer and picked up a set (suite 69 8 3/4 slippery diff) went to install brakes but found that with lever in place cannot get top of shoes to come together, remove lever no problems.


Cheers,
Monaro.
Click to expand...

Look under the car and see if you have an adjuster in the cable, under front passenger seat, maybe. If you do loosen that adjustment, that should slack the cable enough so you can get the shoes in.

I removed a 7 1/4 rear and replaced with an 8 3/4 rear with larger brakes and I experienced the very same issue.

Hope this helps!
 
If you are talking about the slotted bar that goes from shoe to shoe, you can file the slot deeper to make it work. I had the same problem and the top of the shoes would not touch the ancor pin at the top. It worked by filing some from both slots in the bar.
Sometimes ya gotta use the parts ya got.
 
Thanks mate, that is exactly the problem I'm having. I have thought of that but I don't want to attack it until I'm sure that it is in fact the correct part. Because there are 2 description for the same part there must be some difference between them. Also did you take out the most metal from the 'prong' end (just thought that if you took it from the other end the lever may foul on shoe?) I suppose you don't remember how much you took out?

Cheers,
Monaro.
 
I just set up the brakes with the bar in place I would need to file out 25.3 mm (about 1" of metal) before I could get the shoes to meet on the pin, something is really wrong here, has anyone got an old lever that they can give me the measurements for?

Monaro
 
It's been several years ago, used the 11'' bar on 10'' shoes. I know I didn't file much and did file from both ends. Maybe a total of 1/2''.Got me out of the woods.
 
Can you post a picture of what you have? That would be the easiest way for us to see what's going on here.
 
I will take picture and post (if I can work it out).

Cheers ,
Monaro
 
G'day fellows, just to give you a update, I think that I have got it worked out.
First I laid the arm on bench ('tuning fork' end up) and measured the gap between the cut outs and it worked out at 168m (just under7"?) I then got in contact with Elko spares in Melbourne and send them pictures of arm and brake set up. They said that it is the wrong size arm the gap between the cut outs should be 500mm (5.9"?) which should fix the problem and I will know in a couple of days when the arms lob up.
This is the final thing that has prevented the car being on the road after over 2 years of working on it so I am hoping that it works out.

Cheers,
Monaro:cheers:
 
if you are still working on this...are these mopar brakes if they are,the parking strut bar ..bar with pitch fork [the fork]faces down[with cylinder at the top] not up...slide on the ovel spring and slide in the fork..the other end slides into the arm hanging down and the upper end of theis bar slides into the ruffly rectangular hole in the shoe..another member had this same prob until he turned the fork fsacing down..if I can ill send a pic of brake setup...if you have all the problems worked out ,ignore this email...you should not have to cut anything if all the parts being used are correct..j
 

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