Thread: Spindle Arm Nut
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Old 10-15-2019, 01:28 PM   #19
Joe K
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Default Re: Spindle Arm Nut

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dirtrack49 View Post
Marty and Joe,
The picture in #5 post is not from my car. It was taken from the internet to point out the steering arm nut. Since that post, I was able to take a picture of the right side of my car, which you can see that it has the proper pin is on the bottom. However, you can also see that the brake arm has a fork on it that is reversed. That fork also has all kinds of play in it from side to side due to evidently a bad bushing. I am wondering if that bushing has gone bad due to the play that was found in the steering arm?
Also not in the picture, my shocks are out for rebuilding.
Tom L.
The brake arms should be installed to tilt "away" from the centerline of the car January 1930 through end of production. There is a right and a left arm and the ends of the arms where the horizontal rod connects is "tilted" to mate up to the angle of the attached rod. Reversing the brake arm puts this angle "the other way" and may interfere or bind on the rod eyes. He may have reversed the arms left to right to keep the eye-ends of the arms correct for the horizontal rod attachment. If so at least he is consistent in his mistake.

As it is may not make a difference to function, but you may have a lot of brake rod rattle as the horizontal rods might be hitting something else in the area. (The purpose of beginning the brake arm tilt in the 1930 models was to "improve" and reduce any potential for rattling.)

Play in the brake shaft assembly (connected to the forked arm) is "looseness" which has to be made up in adjustment. Side to side is ok - but front to back MIGHT be a problem. Still, if you have new pads and room for adjustment it might remain functional for a while.

Given that the steering system is quite separate from the braking system (they're separated by the "brake pins" going down the center of the King-pin) I would say looseness did not cause an issue with the brake shafts. More maybe just wear?

A lot of rebuilds are done with paint.

Adjustment of the brakes is traditionally done so that when the brakes are "unloaded", the forked brake arm "tilts forward" about 15 to 30 degrees. On application of the brakes fully, the arms are "straight up" - at this point you get the greatest pressure on the brake pads (the most mechanical advantage.) He seems to at least done that much.

Joe K
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