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Help w/ 1952 Chevy 2 1/2 ton truck BRAKES

D

Dutchman

Well-known Member

Here's what I have , I lost brakes on my 1952 Chey 2 1/2 ton truck . broke the hose connection on front .. so I replace the hose and now I can't get any brake peddle .. I had the wheel seals replace and the master cyl. Now if I pump the brakes they do come up and are hard .. the guy that worked on them said if he would " by-pass " the one rear wheel the brake peddle is up half way and hard .. { the rear wheel has 2 wheel cyl's } both has had new wheel cyl. kits put in them ..
There isn't any fluid leaking , what I can see anyplace .. hook the rear wheel up and the peddle goes just about to the floor and you need to pump the brakes to get the brake peddle to come up ...

Any Advice would be greatly appreciate ?. mark
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Shoes on that wheel are traveling to far. Either they are out of adjustment or the shoes and or drums are worn.
 

I forgot to say the brake shoes are like new and they are adjusted up , may-be not far enough , they do drag when you turn the wheel .


mark
 
Mark, sounds like you need a little help to bleed the brakes. I realize that Linda can't help you, but maybe you could pump up the brake pedal and place a stick between steering wheel and pedal to hold the pedal down and bleed the rear cylinders.
Loren
 
Nice truck, two quick thoughts Is there a hose on the rear? Is it exspanding when you pump the brakes if so replace it. Next does that one have a power booster or hydrovac?? If so a host of issues could be happening and further study will be needed. Also could the master cylinder (or booster) be losing pressure? It said you replaced it.
 

It does have a " booster " had to bleed brakes in 2 places on it .. thinking the problem is in the rear brake .. will check on adjustment .. the brakes are like new and the drum looks good

I'm open for any ideas ? I'm drawing a blank right now ???.. mark
 
"I'm drawing a blank right now" been there a time or two. You might have to pressure bleed it or open both sides at once if you think its air. Check that wheel to see if the cylinder is not stuck.
 
When you bleed the brakes did you start with the R rear, then L rear then R front the Left front. My 54 has a Hydrovac, but it doesn't make any difference bleeding the brakes. It does it's thing when the motor is running. I have a power bleeder. It's about the only thing I found on my 54 to get the brakes to have a good pedal. The power bleeders now days don't cost much. Stan
 
Adjust the brake shoes out until they lock the drum tight at each wheel. Then back off just enough so the drum will turn with plenty of resistance. This procedure centers the brake shoes in the drum and takes out excessive brake to drum clearance, so the fluid displacement from the master cylinder should now engage the brakes at a higher point of pedal travel.
 
Well there is a lot of good advice here but one thing is missing -- Set up the brakes tight all the way around -- now bleed them -then back up the settings till the wheel s turn-- some of those old trucks the slave cylinder laid at an angle inside the drum - almost impossible to get all the air out -- so when We did a break job on one of them We would bleed the breaks before putting the drum back on -- very carefully I might add - We put a small feeler guage between the cup and wheel cyl. to let the air out -- because the bleeder was not at the top of the cyl.. thats where you put the feeler guage and pushed very lightly on the peddle --let the air and pull the feeler guage then let up on the peddle slowly- took a lot of patience -- good luck
 

Yes, setting up the brakes is GOOD, but if it worked before the hose popped it should work after the hose was replaced.

You've got air in the system.
 
You can try reverse bleeding the brakes by pushing fluid from the wheel cylinders to the master. I have a Phoenix brake bleeding tool I use for that purpose.
 
those old chevies were a b*$#ch to bleed, we had to find a power bleeder to get the booster right. your problem is likely getting the booster bled good.
 
If you are certain everything is adjusted and bled properly then it is time to look at the parts you have replaced.

More than one bore size option available on many of the older master cylinders and wheel cylinders.

The same casting number with different bore size has left many scratching their head.

It is possible you may have unknowingly replaced a 1 1/4 bore master with a 1 1/8 bore master.

The results would be consistent with the symptoms you have described.
 
My rule of thumb: start bleeding the brakes at the wheel fartherest from the master cylinder and then work forward. Keep steady pressure on the pedal at that time ubtill it bottoms out and all air is gone. A pressure bleeder sometimes will not do it. A person on the pedal is what I do, creates more pressure.
 
Roy, I used to have to maintain an old Clark forklift that had vertical mounted wheel cylinders with the bleeder screw at the bottom.

I used the feeler gauge method to bleed them!

Great minds think alike! LOL
 
On my 21/2 ton chevy had to replace lines for blockage after adjustment had to pressure bleed from wheels, vac pressure
low on hydrovac, findly got all air out
 
Lots of good advice given below. One thing missing is bleed the booster FIRST. If you don't, you're pushing air into the line no matter what wheel you start with. (Same brakes on my '57 5700 LCF.)
 
I agree with Juniur. Jack that side up enough to clear the ground with the tires. Put jack stands under the axle and blocks on the opposite wheels to prevent rolling while in neutral, parking brake off. Turn the wheel by hand while listening to the backing plate (you are under the truck near the wheel) you need to hear light scraping. If none, and the wheel turns.
 
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