11" brakes off a Willys Wagon

Hello all- I took off the drums off the front axel of my CJ 5 and found upgraded 11" brakes from a willys pick up / station wagon, I think the top spring was not streached to where is should be because it was very loose and the brakes shoes were hanging up. The top spring should have be hooked to the hole closer to the outside edge of the shoe.. correct ??



Pete

 

you seem to be missing the adjuster mechanizm that goes in right below that spring. That is why the spring is slack.

Or maybe it is a bar, because there seems to be an adjuster at the bottom.R)

 

thanks for the quick response, I found this site that shows the brakes without the spreader bar the top spring is stretched more.... to the outside hole. I am not sure about the spreader bar, I can't find the part for this application on any of the website, walcks or kaisers......
the picture of the brakes are three quarters of the way down this page.
http://www.members.shaw.ca/pavelb/brakes.html

do you think it needs a spreader bar..?

 

I haven't had to do mine yet.

I do remember the sets on my '66 Olds Dynamic 88. Big mothers! I think they were actually half-ton pickup components. That care weighed in at 5500 lbs, and needed big honking brakes (that is a technical term from an old mechanic) in order to stop. Very similar to these you show, and the ones from shaw.ca. They had that bar shown on the rear set on both the front and rear. The other thing is those eccentrics used to set the brakes. You have to set those so they are oriented the same, and the cam should be up. Then to adjust you turn each one out toward the brake shoe. They turn in opposite directions from each other. ie: the front left wheel, turn the front one clock wise a little, then the rear one counter clock wise a little (do them both in equal amounts) until they contact the drum and then back each off just a hair. This is done from the back side of the backing plate.
I remember adjusting a set on the '51 pickup I used to drive. Takes a little patience.

 

I much prefer the star wheel adjusters at the bottom of the brake shoes.

 

Looking at shaw.ca pictures you may be right but only on the long arm of the spring. Inner slot for the short end and the long end dropped into the hole near the outer edge in a direct line with the bar slot, whether you have the bar or not.
Not sure if it makes any difference, but I seem to remember something about that long arm pointing toward the rear of the vehicle.