Got a Deuce! '62 M35A1

[DavidWymore]

Up and at 'em early on Saturday, these brakes are getting done today! At least the rears, still got to rebuild the front axle. We will see how good I do, might get that done too.

 

[DavidWymore]

Well, got all the rear hubs and drums on. Bearings adjusted, but hard to get a feel for it with those silly outer seals that I'm afraid are too thick and going to cause heat issues after reading on the forum. Set the bearings just a little
loose, but the seal rocks left to right in the keyway when I rotate the hub back and forth. Too loose maybe? Maybe need to press the center of the seals like gringeltaube or shim them.

Started to adjust brakes on one corner, but something is off. Can't get the shoes close enough to the drum on the bottom. Old shoes must have been the same, all worn out on the top. Spindle and backing plate must be off or something...


Jacking bolt idea seems to be a success.
View attachment 558849

 

[Kaiser67M715]

My brakes were the same way so I adjusted bottom, turned top till drum wouldn't spin, backed off the bottom till it did, turned the top some more...repeat until I got. 015 top and bottom

Sorry, misread your post. Do your bottom adjusters freely spin? Only reason you might not get close is your drums are overworn as well as shoes worn too far

 

[DavidWymore]

Everything has been taken apart, cleaned, inspected, and lubricated. Drums and shoes are not new, but well within wear limits. The old shoes being worn out on top makes me think something isn't right. Of course I guess they may have not been adjusted properly.

 

[Kaiser67M715]

ok so probably the same as mine, although my pads weren't too bad, measuring you could tell the difference hard to see. my guess is a PO didn't know correct adjustment only adjusted top, thus making it narrow along the top/middle, fat at the bottom. as we adjust the bottom then go to the top(Bottom First, Top Last) the drum will lock, because it is over-worn at the top, to the middle bottom contacts before anything else. now if we adjust the top, then go to the bottom, same thing just middle top contacts first. a little bit of adjustment on both top and bottom to evenly bring the shoe out will help, at least until the pad is brought back to shape with the drum.

 

[DavidWymore]

The drum is 14-15/16" Inside Diameter. Max is 15-1/8". Old shoes were done at the top, almost to the rivets, pretty good meat at the bottom. I robbed good used shoes off a donor axle, like 3/8" thick including the backing plate, even from top to bottom. These "new" ones, or at least the rearmost one, I can't get down close enough to the bottom.

 

[DavidWymore]

Did some trading for some 11.00s

 

[Jeepsinker]

You'll like those.

 

[Another Ahab]

Problem is:

- Most alternatives aren't so hot.

View attachment 558478

I've seen that truck ramp countless times in my life. That is one of the ones on the westbound side of I-70, west of Denver and Golden.

Did you ever see a a tractor-trailer IN it, one of those days you passed by!?

 

[Jeepsinker]

Only once.

 

[Another Ahab]

My buddy and his girl friend and I where in a 1 ton GMC dually towing back a 1952 Studebaker REO 6X6 I had bought down in Oregon. Coming back we went through "Glacier Lake" area to avoid traffic. Coming down off the plateau we lost the brakes in the dually and had to use the escape ramp which was thankfully there ! My friend was driving at the time and all I could do was hang on and pray we didn't end up going down the side of the mountain. Needless to say we all had the shakes after stopping !
This was my first deuce so I wasn't aware of how heavy they where. Also I was only 26 (still immortal) , a silly young kid who never thought about dying until then !

Just being nosey, but can you recall about how much time (distance) there was from the time your buddy was:

- Pushing that useless brake pedal to the floor

- And recognizing that there WAS a runaway ramp?

 

[DavidWymore]

This is getting to be quite a rabbit freeway runaway truck ramp...

I've seen trucks in them before. We have a nasty grade near us from Ocotillo at sea level up to Jacumba at 3,000 feet, 6% grade, very hot weather in summer, and a twisty freeway, with high winds sometimes to boot. Cars and motorhomes regularly overheat and burn to the pavement on the way up, and semi trucks and RVs regularly smoke their brakes and crash/burn on the way down, or get blown over. Drove onto a runaway ramp when I was a kid once, just about got my big bad 4x4 stuck.



Pulled the steering knuckles at lunch today. I was afraid the kingpins were gonna be half round, but they're not too bad. Boots are long trashed, knuckles full of half dried, hard, dirty grease, and half gooey, dirty grease.

 

[todds112]

We have the Teton Pass here. 10% grade in spots. There are 2 runaway truck ramps, but they are on the opposite side of the road! Scary that a truck would have to cross the center and go off the left side. They have been used many times. Had a tour bus full of people lose brakes and hit the ramp. The bus flew 90 feet before it landed in the gravel!! That lady driver did an amazing job keeping it straight and right side up. Had some real messes up there. A truck load of talcum powder went off and rolled down the mountain. Everyone working the scene looked like powdered donuts! I drove the M35 over once and that was enough. Haven't driven the M923 over...don't know that I ever will. I commute this road every day.

 

[rustystud]

Just being nosey, but can you recall about how much time (distance) there was from the time your buddy was:

- Pushing that useless brake pedal to the floor

- And recognizing that there WAS a runaway ramp?


View attachment 559235

We lost the brakes about 5 minutes before we saw the ramp coming up. He put the truck in second gear (Turbo 400) and was applying the park brake for all it was worth ! But with a 1952 REO pushing us down hill it wasn't doing much ! The way the truck was set-up was this. 1 ton dually extended cab 454 cid engine with the biggest camper they make in the bed, total weight was 8,890 Ibs. After getting back home I weighed the Studebaker REO and it was 8,060 Ibs. Not one of my most brilliant ideas ! Yes he fried the second gear band in the transmission ! and yes I was truly praying out loud that God would save us ! The girl friend pied her pants, at least I think it was her, might have been me. No it was her !
This is one of the many reasons I get really ANAL about brakes ! You can get the biggest engine and go as fast as you want but you need to be able to stop ! It's like the pilot who learned how to take-off but never land. Makes for a one-way trip.

 

[Another Ahab]

We lost the brakes about 5 minutes before we saw the ramp coming up. He put the truck in second gear (Turbo 400) and was applying the park brake for all it was worth ! .

Hoo-WEE. That is a WHOLE lot of time to be reflecting on the gravity of the situation, and getting yourself some real-time religion.

That is one amazing episode, and I'm glad you all escaped it without incident. Wow.

 

[DavidWymore]

Axle shaft seal areas repaired. Bushings and seals etc. on order, hopefully have it back on it's wheels before long. Oh yeah gotta dismount 20 tires and mount ten. Yikes.

 

[rustystud]

View attachment 559631View attachment 559632

Axle shaft seal areas repaired. Bushings and seals etc. on order, hopefully have it back on it's wheels before long. Oh yeah gotta dismount 20 tires and mount ten. Yikes.

David did your machine shop do this repair ? Looks really good.

 

[DavidWymore]

Yeah, it's metal spray. More porous than I'd like, but that's about as good as it gets I think.

 

[DavidWymore]

Cheater.

 

[therooster2001]

I've seen that truck ramp countless times in my life. That is one of the ones on the westbound side of I-70, west of Denver and Golden.

Yup, I saw the pict and recognized it. It's filled with deep gravel, and people do quickly stop in there. Never seen them go too far up. There's a couple in the area. The bad part is that some guys can't go through the tunnel 2 miles beforehand and have to use the pass (mostly hazardous material trucks) and that's just steep and wind-ey. Wanted to try it out for grins and practice, but was warned that the gravel does your paint job in as soon as you go in there from spitting it up at the vehicle. I would much rather use one of those instead of white knuckling it.