I have a '31` ford model a 5-window coupe which I purchased 2 years ago. It has '40 ford brakes on the front axle with finned buick brake drums. I recently pulled the right drum off to check out a noise coming from the wheel. The return spring was broken. I noticed that only about 2/3 of the width of the brake shoes are actually coming in contact with surface of the drum. Is this normal? And if not, is there a fix for this problem? Thanks, Dave B
Quick check. If you are noticing that the brake shoe wear pattern is only 2/3rd's the width of the brake shoe but in complete circumference of the shoe, then the brake drum surface has been cut at a taper. Take a brake wear gauge and check that the diameter from inside to outside of the drum is uniform. If the brake shoe pattern only shows wear on the top of the brake shoe to the bottom 2/3rd's of the shoe, the lower brake anchors have not been adjusted correctly or the drums are turned to big.
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