Rear Brakes

OK.. So we removed all the brake parts off the rear backing plates. These plates do not come off as easily as the fronts do. I did NOT remove them as finding REAR grease seals would prove much more difficult.







We sprayed the backing plates with Simple green and let them soak for a day. We came back, sprayed them again, scrubbed, and washed off with water.


Next we wire brushed them. Washed again with Simple green and hosed them off.



We then added a nice coat of the Epoxy Satin Black. It looks pretty good all cleaned up.


I did machine the rear drums. The right side parking brake had frozen on. This wore the brake shoes down past the rivets and made deep scores in the brake drum. I had to take a lot of iron out of the right drum to make it usable. The left side just needed to me cleaned up a little.


Now to add the brake parts.

First we installed new wheel cylinders. We also picked up a rear hose, but we will get to that when we are running lines.


I added each part just as I had removed them. Evert nut, bolt, spring, washer or clip that was removed from the left side, was boiled, cleaned, polished, painted and re-installed on the left side.

Here we have a problem. After I install ALL the correct parts on the left side, I can barely get the brake drum on. it is like the parts GREW when I washed them. This can NOT happen.


I call dad out to look. he thinks of several ideas. the last idea is, put the ORIGINAL BRAKE SHOES back on. Well, I think he is nuts, but, nothing else has worked.

SAME RESULTS. I am confused. Time to call it a night, think about it, sleep on it, and come back tomorrow fresh. I sent an EMAIL to Scot, with photos asking his opinion. He comes up with many of the VERY same questions, I came up with. NOBODY can answer this one.


So, I wake up, still thinking about it.. But, I have Parking brake cables to build. I spend most if the day, cleaning, painting, building parking brake cables.


I also did some checking, and made some measurements at home. Learned that the new wheel cylinders are about 1/4 inch shorter that the original ones. This would account for the gap that i saw.


I take another day to get back to the Chevy. After sleeping on it twice, I decide, I will put the drums on and hope for the best.

I installed the drums, adjusted the brakes, adjusted the parking brake. applied the parking brake and EVERYTHING worked perfect. (Don't ask, I can't figure it out) NOW.. Brakes are back together. Time to start bending brake lines and connect up all the wheel cylinders.

More tomorrow.