The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Making some progress on brakes

I have to work on the brake system on the my 1948 2ton. I pulled the second rear wheel today. The wheel cylinder is frozen, in that the adjusters won't turn. The entire linkage is pretty stiff and rusty. I thought the rears on the 2tons had two cylinders per wheel? The shoes look okay, and I may take in the drums and see if they can be turned. When I pulled the axle out of the rear end it looks as though there may be some water in the differential, the splines looked a little rusty. Is that gasket going to be available if I remove the cover on the differential?
After dinner I will start on the front wheels. Dang those wheels are heavy. I will most likely have to do the king pins too the upgrade the safety factor. Steers like a boat going down stream.

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You can get brake cylinder rebuild kits for those from Jim Carters Classic Truck Parts. Take your cylinder apart and as long as it isn't pitted up much, you can probably hone them and they will be fine. You may get differing opinions on the pumpkin gasket, but lots of people just say to clean both the cover and the differential very well and use rtv gasket sealer.

As far as steering, you can check the kingpins by jacking the wheel up just high enough to get a bar underneath the wheel and then lift it up and see if it moves much. If it's pretty tight your problem may not be the kingpins. The sloppy steering could also be the tie rod ends or the pitman arm adjustment, or the steering box.

Thanks for all the pointers. This is my first truck restoration and I only have one tractor restoration that is not quite finished.

The 2 ton brakes with dual cylinders on the rear were introduced in 1951. Our trucks use the Huck brake system. I went thru the brakes on my '49 2 months ago. Between my Flaps and Jim Carter I was able to find everthing I needed. I had the shoes relined by Dallas brake and clutch. You are right those wheels are heavy.
Brake work is not my favorite thing.

Raybestos Wheel Cylinder Kit # WK104 has the 1 1/2" cups and spring if you can rebuild your old wheel cylinders. It also comes with the dust caps for the later 51 and newer wheel cylinders.

Your gasket for the differential is gonna be Fel-Pro #RDS 5049, at least that should be for the front of it, which I also used for the rear.

If you need to replace the pinion seal its, National 41130N (2.598" x 3.481" x 0.50")

Good luck, Jeff

DV ALDIS on fraser street can supply w/cylinders and can reline and machine the rear brakes....

Dave,
I may take the drums to DV Aldis. The shoes are in really good condition. The odometer is low, so I think this truck sat around too much. That's why the wheel cylinders are so rusted up. Looks like I will put in new cylinders, new flexible lines, and maybe a new master cylinder. Jim Carter has a new master cylinder for $95, the front wheel cylinder for $32, rear for $75. The 3 brake line hoses for $12.30 each, the block attaching bolt for the rear for $2.61 each, the plugs for the front adjusting holes (which were missing) for 38¢, parking brake boot for $3.56 for a total of $359.05. I don't think I can be anywhere close to that on my new cars. However the HydroVac is a whopping $527.

You may be able to have some of those cylinders relined with stainless steel sleeves for less than a new one. Then you have a better quality cylinder than new.

The stainless steel sleeve last a very long time and give no trouble, when I do any brake work I have them all sleeved.

I have posted the info before, search for "Mark The Machinist" as he is the best I know of for stainless steel sleeves.

Grigg

Found the info:

The guy to have stainless sleeve your cylinders is:
Mark "the machinist" Frappier
82 Mountianview St.
Agawam, MA 01001
413-789-8665, or 800-528-5235

Seems you oughta be able to get the Hydrovac rebuilt for a lot less than $500. I'd check out www.precisionrebuilders.com Our local truck shops send stuff to them. Or check with the local brake house you're talking about.

We're just finishing brakes & wheels on a '44. We sepaerated the lines and blew out the old brake fluid. Little less contamination that way, I hope.

-Michael

For rebuilt hydrovacs I would look at: http://www.bscparts.com/index.php

They show 1 ton units for $194. Maybe they will do yours for about the same money?

Paul

Do the Hydrovac yourself! So long as you take some pictures of the tear down, they arent hard to rebuild.

ABS Power Brake has NOS units for about $150. You can get basic kits (all internal seals needed) WITHOUT the control body diaphragm, lead faced valve and the power cylinder seal for about $50. You may not need those three components.

BSC is a pain in the butt to get kits from as they would rather you send in yours for a rebuild or replacement, but if you argue you can get kits. They DO NOT like responding via email so your better off calling.

Jeff