74 drum brake question

I need some parts for the rear brakes on my 74 CJ5 (Dana 44) but there's a couple of items I'm haveing trouble locating either online or at the parts store - ie: e-brake strut springs. What other vehicles ran those D44s with the 11" brakes? (Scouts? Broncos?) Also, will later model cherokees or YJs use the same springs even thought the drums and shoes are different?

 

I just went to NAPA with my strut and they looked through their paper catalog for a pic that matched.
They brought out the two that looked the same and one was perfect. It was blue in color.
I THINK it was from a blazer. Forgot what year.

 

If you buy the spring kit, it should come with the parking brake cross-bar spring.

Don't know about the later Cherokee brakes - I think not, since they use Delco (?) brakes, not Bendix.

The easiest/most common source for 11"x2" Bendix brakes is mid-60s Ford F-100 pickups. Early Broncos also used them, as did the 5-lug Wagoneers and J-trucks.

 

Yeah Timgr, the spring kits should but more and more the manufacturers are not including the strut spring. We've been running into this at work and it's frustrating. Seems to be just the last couple years this started with some kits and the rest seem to be following suit.

A spring from any bendix 11" brake set up should work as it's just an anti rattle spring but it is important to have one in there as it helps locate the strut

 

Found them at Advance so I'm good to go at the component level.

DREDnot, do you have a pic from underneath? I need enlightenment re: the adjuster lever and spring assembly.

BTW both rear drums had been stripped of all hardware when I bought the Jeep so I wasn't able to take my own reference pics.

 

Drivers side rear. Kinda hard to see...




Passenger side front

 

brake assemblys are beautiful when they're that clean! Thanks

 

Before I button this up and reach for the Motrin, kindly give my work and visusal once over and let me know if I missed anything.

 

Visually, it looks fine. The only thing you can mess up is putting the left adjuster on the right, or vice-versa. Just make sure that when you lift the self-adjuster lever, and it climbs the star wheel, you release it and the adjuster tightens. The adjuster should get longer as the lever turns the star wheel.

 

About all I see is that your retainer plate is askew and you should sand off the paint runs and any other funk on the mating surfaces of your axle flange. You don't want your drum to sit cockeyed or you will curse your new brakes.

 

yup what he said...

 

Regarding the retainer plate askew, I'm not sure that it's a problem. I'd tap on it with a blunt punch and see if I could get it to sit more level by centering it better. Usually the hooks on the ends of the spring will seat the retainer plate fully. The adjuster cable normally does sit a little off-center like that. I like to close up the ends of the return springs with pliers after I install them - it just makes it look a little more secure. And that may help to seat the retainer plate more level.