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Huck Brake job and ball bearings
- Thread starter bammiller84
- Start date
Zig
Member
Here's how I did it, remembering my dad's advice and doing this with him as he watched on. Now he wasn't any Nate, but he was pretty close, in my eyes.
Clean everything, put the bearings in your hand, scoop out some good wheel bearing grease and push it into the bearings over and over, until you are sure you have all the little cavities full. Next, put grease all over the races. Not a bunch, but enough to cover because ...
Install.
Put the hub back on, put washer and castle nut on, put wheel on, start spinning the wheel as you tighten nut. Keep tightening until the wheel starts coming to a stop... When this has happened, back off until you can get a perfectly fitting pin into the cotter hole.
Don't follow these directions until someone validates.
Clean everything, put the bearings in your hand, scoop out some good wheel bearing grease and push it into the bearings over and over, until you are sure you have all the little cavities full. Next, put grease all over the races. Not a bunch, but enough to cover because ...
Install.
Put the hub back on, put washer and castle nut on, put wheel on, start spinning the wheel as you tighten nut. Keep tightening until the wheel starts coming to a stop... When this has happened, back off until you can get a perfectly fitting pin into the cotter hole.
Don't follow these directions until someone validates.
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Bearing Fun
What Zig said .
In ball bearings you moosh the fresh grease in from the inside of the bearing so the gaps between the balls and cage is fully packed with grease .
Take some time to scoop out the hollow center of the hub between the bearing races where some boob wasted $5 of grease filling it ~ it's important to leave this open space empty to allow air to keep the hub & bearings cool .
Use a NEW cotter pin and don't be afraid to fool with the castle nut as you spin that tire and work it thisa - way and that , learning how to feel it when it sungs up *gently* then just back the nut off to the *first* place you can insert the cotter pin ~ that's why there's TWO holes drilled in the spindle end 90? apart : so you don't have to back the nut off more than one flat .
It's often easier to remove the wheel and tire assy to lighten the load on the hub as you're adjusting the bearing .
Those brake shoes are worn out as well as greasy ~ don't clean them , replace them .
Order up re lined brake shoes and DO NOT TURN IN YOUR OLD SHOES CORES until the job is done and you're happy ~ bent shoes abound and once yours are gone , *poof* never to be seen again .
Many Partshaus' will insist on exchange only ~ that's fine but retain your old shoes until the JOB IS DONE !!!! .
Chevs Of The 40's is the only place I know that still stocks that stupid special washer you need to bend to get the shoes off , I used to buy large E clips but have not seem them in years .
DO NOT TURN NOR ' MACHINE ' THE BRAKE DRUMS !! ~ your LIFE
depends on this .
Bill H. has good used Huck brake parts if you need any .
What Zig said .
In ball bearings you moosh the fresh grease in from the inside of the bearing so the gaps between the balls and cage is fully packed with grease .
Take some time to scoop out the hollow center of the hub between the bearing races where some boob wasted $5 of grease filling it ~ it's important to leave this open space empty to allow air to keep the hub & bearings cool .
Use a NEW cotter pin and don't be afraid to fool with the castle nut as you spin that tire and work it thisa - way and that , learning how to feel it when it sungs up *gently* then just back the nut off to the *first* place you can insert the cotter pin ~ that's why there's TWO holes drilled in the spindle end 90? apart : so you don't have to back the nut off more than one flat .
It's often easier to remove the wheel and tire assy to lighten the load on the hub as you're adjusting the bearing .
Those brake shoes are worn out as well as greasy ~ don't clean them , replace them .
Order up re lined brake shoes and DO NOT TURN IN YOUR OLD SHOES CORES until the job is done and you're happy ~ bent shoes abound and once yours are gone , *poof* never to be seen again .
Many Partshaus' will insist on exchange only ~ that's fine but retain your old shoes until the JOB IS DONE !!!! .
Chevs Of The 40's is the only place I know that still stocks that stupid special washer you need to bend to get the shoes off , I used to buy large E clips but have not seem them in years .
DO NOT TURN NOR ' MACHINE ' THE BRAKE DRUMS !! ~ your LIFE
depends on this .
Bill H. has good used Huck brake parts if you need any .
Bill Hanlon
Member
Not this Bill H.
bammiller84
Member
Ok thanks for great info. I got the rear all done and the fronts pads all replace and ready for bearings and drums then ready to bleed. I will make sure I clean the inside of the hub as it was pretty nasty from the leaky cylinder. All my drums look pretty good except for front passenger side. It has a couple big groves all the way around, so you say not to turn them so where should I purchase a new one?
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bammiller84
Member
Also how do you seperate the hub from the drum? I looked on the backside and don't see the three rivets or any.
Huck Drums
With out having your drum at hand I can't say ~ IIRC (long time no Huck brake work) they had thin sheet metal " Pal Nuts " at the base of each stud to hold the drums onto the hubs .
What usually happens is : no one bothers to replace the paper gasket between the hub and drum so they rust to - gether ~ there's a way to beat the drum with a BFH and the shock will pop the drum loose , when you discover the *exact* resonance / blow force etc.
Basically you want to make the drum ring like a bell ~ those harmonic vibrations will break it loose .
No real need to separate it though...
I have forgotten which Bill it was who recently said he'd up graded his Huck brakes and still had the parts left over he didn't want .
Bendix says to use some 600 grit abrasive and hand rub the surface of the drum just until the really sharp edges are smoothed then assemble and adjust to _zero_ drag m do a bunch of gentle stops to bed the new linings into the grooves in the drum , it'll work fine and you'll actually have a larger surface area .
Used Huck brake drums are out there , I'd not pay much for one unless I had it in my hand first .
New ones too but I was told they're *very* poor quality .
Try hand smoothing the old drum and see what you get .
With out having your drum at hand I can't say ~ IIRC (long time no Huck brake work) they had thin sheet metal " Pal Nuts " at the base of each stud to hold the drums onto the hubs .
What usually happens is : no one bothers to replace the paper gasket between the hub and drum so they rust to - gether ~ there's a way to beat the drum with a BFH and the shock will pop the drum loose , when you discover the *exact* resonance / blow force etc.
Basically you want to make the drum ring like a bell ~ those harmonic vibrations will break it loose .
No real need to separate it though...
I have forgotten which Bill it was who recently said he'd up graded his Huck brakes and still had the parts left over he didn't want .
Bendix says to use some 600 grit abrasive and hand rub the surface of the drum just until the really sharp edges are smoothed then assemble and adjust to _zero_ drag m do a bunch of gentle stops to bed the new linings into the grooves in the drum , it'll work fine and you'll actually have a larger surface area .
Used Huck brake drums are out there , I'd not pay much for one unless I had it in my hand first .
New ones too but I was told they're *very* poor quality .
Try hand smoothing the old drum and see what you get .
bammiller84
Member
Ok my father in law and I looked at it last night. There is three pretty big groves in it all the way around. Both of us were thinking the drum was pretty well gone.
Define "pretty big"...
bammiller84
Member
bammiller84
Member
Suck , Er , _HUCK_ Brake Drums
Those will clean right up but , I just got a sales advert from Jim Carter Truck parts that includes brandy new Huck brake drums for $119 each .
For safety's sake , go buy a new one but , DON'T machine it until after you've tried it , only if the pedal pulsates should it be machined .
Those will clean right up but , I just got a sales advert from Jim Carter Truck parts that includes brandy new Huck brake drums for $119 each .
For safety's sake , go buy a new one but , DON'T machine it until after you've tried it , only if the pedal pulsates should it be machined .
bammiller84
Member
Decided to try and sand them out. Most of the grooves came out. Took it for the first drive of the season and first time after the brake job. Worked great on first trial run and stopped without pulling to either side. So decided to take it to get some straw for the yard and worked great. May have taken the long way on way back cause it was so nice out. Thanks for all the great tips and advice!
Huck Brake Service
Glad it worked out for you O.K. .
Remember ; as the linings bed in the brake pedal will begin to drop a bit , this is normal , DO NOT wait until it goes 1/2 way to the floor to re adjust the brakes ! .
Adjust them cold , in the early morning and remember : TWO adjusters per wheel , don't let the shoes drag .
I was in the junkyard Sunday 4/19 and there was a passable 1949 Chevy Sedan Delivery , some guys were excitedly taking the Huck brakes off it.....
.
Jeezo-Peezo .
That thing looked like it had been sitting a few years but also looked very solid , I feel they shoulda sold it , maybe a Hot Rodder or serious Babbitt Pounder Die Hard would have brought it back to life .
it has a 235 in it .
Glad it worked out for you O.K. .
Remember ; as the linings bed in the brake pedal will begin to drop a bit , this is normal , DO NOT wait until it goes 1/2 way to the floor to re adjust the brakes ! .
Adjust them cold , in the early morning and remember : TWO adjusters per wheel , don't let the shoes drag .
I was in the junkyard Sunday 4/19 and there was a passable 1949 Chevy Sedan Delivery , some guys were excitedly taking the Huck brakes off it.....
.Jeezo-Peezo .
That thing looked like it had been sitting a few years but also looked very solid , I feel they shoulda sold it , maybe a Hot Rodder or serious Babbitt Pounder Die Hard would have brought it back to life .
it has a 235 in it .