Hot Rods Lincoln self adjusting brakes

I've done dozens of ch***is and cars with Boling Bros Lincoln brakes. I'm wondering why some ambitious entrepreneur hasn't came up with a kit to ad self adjusters to the Lincoln brakes. I don't have the knowledge or time to do this but a kit for front and rear would sell.

 

Likewise for older Buicks

Ben

 

There was a thread in the last several months about adjusting the Lincoln and someone responded with a picture and kind of a sketchy description of what he did. Didn't seem to want to share with his fellow HAMB members? Looks like the perfect opportunity to start a tech thread for all to profit from.

 

I could see a "how to" article or post but I, realistically don't see anyone jumping in and building "kits" to do it.

Doubt there is a big enough market out there to warrant the investment in time and money unless someone semi-retired, bored, or with a bunch of time on their hands want something to do as a side job or hobby...

Sadly a lot of what we deal with fall into that category, like it or not the prime time of these cars, systems, and parts and pieces are over. A lot more people building later model cars with LS motors, brembo style brakes, etc than there are of us and that's where the main markets, engineers and fab people are going to cater because right now that's where the monies at....

...

 

When I put my roadster together , I used M-T car products Lincoln brakes with Buick drums on the front and Wilson Welding on the rear. didn't stop worth a ****. Part of it was my brake pedal ratio, after fixing that ,it still didn't stop very well . After some HAMB research I followed ELpolackos experience and was able to make things work better.
The pictures aren't there .but if you're familiar with Lincoln style brakes it's pretty easy to follow.
Technical - MT Car Products brake shoe issue | The H.A.M.B.

 

Remember that you have to back up and hit the brakes for them to self adjust.
Still it actually isn't rocket science. They are Bendix brakes and the main thing you need to know is the shoe number and what vehicles that shoe fits and you can buy and install the self adjusting kit for those brakes. Knowing the shoe number and what it also fits tells you what self adjust kits match the holes in the shoes for self adjuster parts.

That is the same way we change non self adjusting brakes to self adjusting on 50's cars.

 

Forget the kit, just a HAMBer whose been there and done that with some pictures and a parts list. As for all the liability claims if I'd of been scared of that Cornhusker Rod & Custom would have never been born and I'd have had to end up working for someone. else. I trued very hard to build a product (28-40 hot rod ch***is) that was as bullet proof as possible. It's impossible to plan for stupidity so that necessitated me covering my **** with liability insurance. Took a chunk of change every year to cover that but it was worth it.

 

I offer a kit through Wilson Welding to do exactly what you are describing, convert Lincoln 12" drum brakes to self-adjusting. Most of the parts I make in-house, as parts houses no longer carry self-adjuster parts for 12" brakes. Fits Wilson Welding, Boling Brothers, and original Lincoln backing plates. There are quite a few on the road, as I've been building these for several years...first as an option on the brakes I built, then as a stand-alone kit.

I didn't advertise it anywhere but on my Instagram page, so if you don't follow me you wouldn't have seen it.

My email: b***kustoms@yahoo.com

Link to info:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DK-kaZ5OWkI/?img_index=1

 

Thanks B***

 

Anyone else think that something is wrong with that picture? (primary vs. secondary shoes)

 

Ha! I think you are correct. Primary and secondary look switched. Fortunately it was just a mock-up for the photo.

 

I picked up some parts mentioned in an old FAST article on using 53-56 F100 brakes... then realized I could have picked up some 64-up (I think) brake parts to go to self adjusters. On into the 70s trucks I think.
I am going this route, but took a big break on my project but getting back to it now. Hopefully someone else can share more about this.

 

Boy, I don't know when you guys grew up, but the cars I had as a kid didn't have self adjusting brakes.
Adjusting "Bendix" brakes is easy compared to adjusting "Lockheed" brakes.
Of course most of you probably don't know the difference between "Bendix" & "Lockheed" brakes.
I could throw in GM "Huck" brakes just to throw things off, but that's another lesson.
When I worked at Pete & Jake's we could get a "self adjusting eliminator" kit at the auto parts store.
We put them on everything, just to get rid of the "self adjusters" !!!
It takes longer to jack the car up then it does to adjust the Bendix brakes.

 

https://www.autozone.com/p/duralast...MI96C59OehlgMV7I3CCB26Ey**EBcYASACEgJFUvD_BwE

Get you one of these and the job will be super easy. Find out what the little holes in the bottom of the backing plate are for!

 

Anyone remember the Ford commercial from the early 60s where a man was bent down at rear of his new parked Ford waiting/listening for the brakes to self adjust?

 

Every time I ***emble a set of Boling Bros brakes I have to reeducate myself even though I've done dozens. Pete: You'll get old someday and find out how hard it is to get down and crawl around to work on your car.

 

If you talking about lincol. Zephyr brakes from 1939-48 they are self energized self adjustment

 

Yes self energized, not self adjustment.

 

wouldn't you need a left and a right of everything including backing plates?

 

There rears have a right and left side. You can tell which is which by the location of the E Brake hole. Fronts fit either side. Interesting I can't get B*** to respond to my request for 2 kits for my 3 window. Hope he doesn't think I'd copy them. That ship has sailed.

 

@B*** , do you have kits available?

 

I read somewhere that the full size Chev wagons from '71 to '76 had 12" rear brakes. Maybe the self adjuster parts from them would work. Of course, even those cars are over 50 years old now.

 

I guess I'm at the age where everybody's tool box had to have couple or three brake s****s.

 

The kits Brian posted are based on the GM 12" self-adjuster design.

 

Another option is the Bendix design self-adjusting stuff from mid-60s Ford & Dodge 3/4 ton trucks; some IHC trucks too.

The kits I have used seem to have dropped out of the market (like a lot of Raybestos stuff); but may show up here & there.

Dorman currently has kits listed. HW2547 & HW2546. ** see edit below. None of the kits include the adjuster spring; but it is included in the regular hardware kit HW7139.

The kits lay-out like the commonly seen self-adjuster stuff on older 8 & 9" Ford axles.

An adjustment slot will be needed to be cut on left side backing plates.

Here is a picture with parts set out on top of an ***embled R/H brake ***y.

Note the silver cable guide goes under the retract spring where the arrow points (I couldn't get it to balance there for the picture).

**EDIT I was just going to order one of the Dorman kits I mentioned above and saw the pictures don't show the finger that moves the adjuster. Makes no sense it wouldn't be included as it is a wear part.

 

I just sent you a reply to your email from last night, Gary. Sorry, I have been working in the shop all morning and just stopped to check emails at lunch. I’m a one man operation, so I do my best.

Thanks y’all.

 

Yes, I have a few ready to go and can make more upon request.

 

This is correct, similar to the Buick self adjusting set-up.

Drum brake hardware is getting harder to find by the day. I’m not aware of any of the GM style adjuster parts being produced by any of the brake part manufacturers anymore.

Yes, there is a left and right side for the adjuster parts. The wheel cylinder is also side-specific.

When you convert early Lincoln 12” brakes to self adjusting, the adjuster slot at the bottom of the backing plate no longer lines up on one side. You just plug the adjuster slot with a supplied rubber plug, because the brake now adjusts when you put the car in reverse.

 

Hi, Gary. I replied to your email from late Friday night at 1:30PM Saturday. Did you get my e-mail?