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7 members (Shade Baby, GMCJammer51, 2-Ton, 3800GUY, IHPWR, Jon G, Hush),
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Mod | | | Forums66 Topics128,102 Posts1,056,185 Members48,436 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
| | THANKS!
For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 23 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 23 | I'm changing my '47 3100 to an open drivetrain. I did some horse trading and have a rear axle from a '58 GMC 1/2 ton. Last night I pulled the brake drums and discovered the parking brake lever that attaches to the cable and parking brake link that fits between the primary and secondary shoes are missing on both sides. I did some searching last night and could not find a source for these parts. Does anyone know of a supplier? | | | | | Joined: Mar 2016 Posts: 225 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2016 Posts: 225 | Good luck. I've been hunting a diagram, and the parts, to replace the parking brake hardware, inside the drum, on my 1951 3100, for a while now. Factory Assembly Manual does not show you, the Shop Manual does not show you, it gives you generic looking pictures for replacing brake shoes, wheel cylinder, etc. My next step was to find somebody local, that I can go and look at how it all goes together. I know it has the lever arm on one side and what I would call an actuator arm on the other side, with spring(s), but how it goes together, I do not know.
Mike
Mike
1951 3100 5 window
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | Mike, I dimly recall that Bendix-style brakes were used on 1/2 tons in 1951? If that is correct, here is an illustration compliments of Brad Allen . Does that help? | | | | | Joined: Mar 2016 Posts: 225 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2016 Posts: 225 | Yep, mine are Bendix. Pretty good pictorial, better than anything I have found so far. Still some gray areas...what attaches the cable to the lower portion of that bar on the right in the picture? What holds that bar in? Is it bolted in and pivots?
Not being picky, but I had nothing, and have nothing, to go by or compare to. It can probably be assembled a variety of ways, but it's only gonna work correctly, one way.
Mike
Mike
1951 3100 5 window
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 23 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 23 | There is a hook on the end of the lever. You have to pull the spring on the cable back and insert the cable. Spring pressure holds it in place. | | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | Yep, I understand your situation, Mike I would not want to try to put one together, if I had never seen one together. Tomorrow, I'll try to remember to check to see if I have an assembly that I can find in my over-stuffed/unpacked garage/storage-shed. Maybe slides 51 and 59 will help you a little (thanks, again, Brad). | | | | | Joined: Mar 2016 Posts: 225 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2016 Posts: 225 | My grandmother used to say that we have two ears and one mouth...we are supposed to LISTEN more than we SPEAK. It was designed that way for a reason. (Sometimes we didn't adhere to that).
I put the cart before the horse. Both 51 and 59 explain it for the most part.
Thank you Tim...and Brad Allen.
And sorry ShopTeach that I hijacked your post. It didn't start out that way. But this info should very well apply to your problem as well.
Except you and I still have to find the parts.
Mike
Mike
1951 3100 5 window
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 2,168 A teacher, but always an apprentice. | | A teacher, but always an apprentice. Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 2,168 | Here is a link I was directed to for my 70 C10 when I was handed a box of parts with hub caps and various brake parts. It is very similar to the old ones and goes step by step with labels. http://www.pbase.com/nufsed/drumbrake | | |
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