It ain't rocket science. If you look at the action when you operate the e-brake lever, you'll see that there's 2 tangs on it. The upper tang presses the rear shoe outward, and the lower tang gets the forward shoe. Be sure the tangs properly engage the shoes. I've gotten many sets of new shoes that have lousy pad areas for the tang to engage and have resulted in either no e-brake, very weak e-brake, or jamming and overheating.

The lever and cables must be free and properly adjusted. Once right, they stay in adjustment. If the star wheel adjusters and auto adjust levers are in good shape, it'll stay in adjustment.

Looking at your setup, it looks like the star wheels had jammed, and someone adjusted the e-brake cables to compensate by holding the shoes out a bit. It used to be a common used car sales tactic. It's dangerous as it over extends the wheel cylinders.

I use a silicone grease around brakes, usually NAPA's Sil-Glide. Doesn't stiffen up when cold, won't run off when hot. Wheel bearing grease runs, and anti seize isn't actually a moving parts lube.

I've run these brakes on Dodge trucks and vans for 40 years. Only in the last 10 or so the available parts have gone to heck in a hand basket and made things miserable. The Bendix double acting design is supurb, but the parts available vacuum. The only decent shoes I've seen lately is a Centric set I just bought and have not installed yet. I've welded up and ground the e-brake pads of a few sets.

 

We ALL have those moments where we later wonder "how the hell did I miss that"?

 

The parts available for almost everything these days are pretty bad.

 

I agree, but the only time the pivot moves is when the E Brake is applied and released, so it's not really moving much. The graphite and aluminum keeps the parts free of rust, which IMO, is the real culprit anyway...

 

I love copper anti-seize for electrical. It's conductive and keep the corrosion away.
Changed my oil, lubed my joints, and put my snow tires on.

 

Never thought about that...good info, Thanks!

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by ofelas View Post
Installed the steering box frame brace early this morning - bottom most bolt wouldn't budge till coffee made me realize I had forgotten it was a splined bolt like a wheel stud.




I know this isn't the perfect thread for this question, but I'd still like an answer. Perhaps someone is intimately familiar with these steering box mounting plates??

 

You're talking about the holes in the factory plate on the flat section of the c frame?i would just get a new shouldered wheel stud and have at it.
Or drill the holes larger. Chamfer them and put a stick weld cross on either side.

 

My 93 4wd donor truck had no splined studs on the mounting plate...so I can not be of any assistance. I installed one of the Ramcharger steering braces on the inside of my frame, and drilled all the holes out to run a 1/2"x20 Gr 8 bolts with hardened washers, and lock nuts.

I don't think the plates them selves are the wea kpoints, I think it's actually a combination of a few things....the mounting hardware, weak frames that flex too much, poor steering geometry design (RR steering much better), vibrations from the cummins motor, and time.

 

Nothing on Ol' Patches, exactly...but I finished resealing my Hydroboost unit tonight. I have been getting everything ready to go the last week or so, new PS pump, lines, bracket etc. I have everything now, just need to cut and thread the push rod.

Only other thing I'm unsure of is the brake lines, since I'm using the 2000 cummins MC. I will have to install new fitting for the MC, but not sure if the original lines will be too short, or long? Will deal with that the day of.

So hopefully within the next week or so I will find the time to do the swap.

 

There is always some bit of "seat of the pants engineering" on these typs of projects

 

Ordered a OEM hood ornament for the 89. Thanks Bill!

 

TC:

Thanks much. For reasons unknown, my Mopar replacement plate (part # 5203 7876) simply would not accommodate the OEM splined bolt in that bottom hole -- a hole larger than 9/16" would have been required and I am loathe to do any drilling on that plate whatsoever for fear of further weakening an already weak link in my truck. As I think about it, there were three different Mopar part numbers for that plate. The earliest number had three 1/2" mounting holes; perhaps the later two numbers were because one plate would accommodate the larger splined bolt and the other would not.

I have purchased the Ramcharger steering brace as well as a box of 1/2" Huck 360 bolts; I simply need to find the time to install it. My Reverse Rotation steering box is in shipment to the rebuilder now so that is my plan for a permanent repair.

Jim

 

Hey Jim,

I'm working on getting all my parts together for my RR steering conversion as well. Would like to knock that off my "to do" list before spring.

 

I'm also trying to line up all of the parts for a RR steering conversion. At this point I have everything except hoses and an intermediate steering shaft. The hoses are gonna be tough b/c I'm adding hydro brakes as well and a PS cooler. I' probably have to get custom hoses.
I plan on running the factory frame brace behind the RR steering cradle.