Reply To: Stewart warner brakes

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Hi Doug, Let’s not talk about our ages.. and failing memories.. that discussion would go on forever..

This next check of the brake system is hard to describe.. but I’ll try.

When you apply the brake pedal, it clamps the driveshaft driven disc agains the movable pressure plate or ‘reaction plate’.. I don’t know what else to call it. this plate rotates in the housing, which causes the output shaft on the right side of the brake unit to rotate.. the lever on the shaft is connected to the cables and rods that pull on the brakes. This brake lever has only a certain amount of travel, if the brake linkage is too loose, most of this travel will be used-up taking up slack and excess clearances, before actual braking action can take place.

Since you have adjusted the brake shoes, so that they have minimum clearance, the next area is to see if the brake unit’s shaft and lever isn’t traveling so far that it is near the end of it’s travel. This would limit the braking action at the wheels..

I’d check the amount of travel that the brake unit’s output arm and levers have to make before braking action is applied at each wheel.. if the travel is excessive, adjust the cables and rod connections to have the brakes apply earlier.

If you have minimal play and clearances, and the brake unit levers only have to move, say 1/2 of their available travel before braking action starts,, then the only remaining item to cause poor braking is the friction disc. I’d get it relined.

Hope this makes sense..

Greg L