I am having all sorts of trouble trying to get my brakes working.I tried tightening the cables--adjusting the toggle bolts .everything else I could think of and still they will not stop me . Only one thing left that I can think of --Maybe I have the hubs and backing plates on the wrong way . Should the adjusting toggles be to the front or the rear of the car? Or maybe the cross shaft is bent- It does have a curve to it but I also have another and it also has a bend in it . Seems like it needs to be there to clear the driveshaft.
If anyone can shed some light on this I would appreciate it
Thanks
Ken

Where Are You From? Kamloops B C Canada

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1930 durant- model 614 - Deluxe rumble seat coupe

Hi Ken....

Contact Gary K....He has my service manual that has the complete brake down on adjusting the steeldraulic brakes used on your 614.

Now that you have it running, you need to be able to stop also !!!!

Frank ---

Where Are You From? Hookstown, Pennsylvania

Do You own a car built by Durant? 14 Durant & Star cars & a Durant Dort buggy (one horse power)

Even if all adjustments are perfect and everything works smoothly, the problem of poor brakes may simply be low friction coefficient.
Nothing makes more difference than fresh brake linings and smooth, true drums. The more uninterrupted and clean friction surface, the better. Even if you have new brake linings a grooved and/or pitted drum surface will degrade brake operation by as much as 50%.
How are your brakes in this respect?

Where Are You From? Texarkana, Tex

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1923 Star, 1927 Star

All new linings--(Bought from Frank) and drums were turned by an expert machinist.
Ken

Where Are You From? Kamloops B C Canada

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1930 durant- model 614 - Deluxe rumble seat coupe

Check out the Steeldraulic info on the Tech Page.

Dave

COPY OF SHOP NOTES WILL BE SENT MONDAY AS PER FRANK....REGARDS, GARY...ALSO OTHER ITEM....

Where Are You From? 0

Do You own a car built by Durant? 2

ALSO, EMAIL YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS TO ME...FROGGYSROD@COMCAST.NET....GARY

Where Are You From? 0

Do You own a car built by Durant? 2

Ah theres your problem, Ken. Owners manual says if adjustments are necessary see an authorized Durant Service Station.

Cross rod should be straight which has the brake pedal arrangement one side of the drive shaft and emergency brake the other. Have send you a pic out of the manual. I understand from Gord there is a special tool for adjusting the brakes. We partially got into this awhile back as to what tools came with post 30 cars other than a crank. I have the wheel wrench and crank, Gord mentioned the brake adjustment tool, but other than that no one seems to know. Pre 30 they had a set of tools but no identification saying Durant on them like Ford, IHC, etc.

Supposed to be 3/64 inch clearance lining to drum. Adjusting hole is top of backing plate towards the front, on front, and rear ones are bottom of the plate.

Durants were notorious here for needing an anchor to throw out the window to help stop the car, should be the same in BC. I used to be brake man trying to stop my chums 31 in the 60's. He would push with all his might on the pedal and I'd pull back on the emergency hoping to stop. Seems the present owner tells me nothing has changed now he owns the car. My old 30 was much the same and now has both headlights looking for UFO's and rims dented, after a friend of the owner couldn't stop the thing before the garage doors fully opened.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan

Just wondering if the newer harder type non-asbestos brake lining may at least be part of your problem, I have been less than happy using it on some of my earlier band type brakes, don't know what the answer is as the old softer asbestos lining is no longer available....The softer lining has better friction but will wear faster, whereas harder lining has less friction but will wear better.

Bill

Where Are You From? Leavenworth, WA / Yuma, AZ

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1923 A-22 Touring, 1929 Durant model 40 Coupe

tools are pictured in shop manual section..gary

Where Are You From? 0

Do You own a car built by Durant? 2

And where would that be for 30 - 33, Gary ? Don't see it in Tech page and no one knew in Forum a year or so back what tools came with post 29 cars. Pre 30's had a whole kit of tools. Could it be the newer line of better cars, didn't need tools to keep them together and running ?
Much like a Harley versus a Yammy / Honda motorcycle. Harley vibrate so much you end up picking up parts, and the others just purr along. Don't laugh in the Retread Club I used to belong to, one member had a white Harley used when the Pope was here, and on a trip both fenders vibrated off. Embarrasing note, he was a smoker and without thinking lit up a cig and tossed the lighter away. Lighter was part of the Harley with the Pope's insignia on the handle. He never found the lighter, its still somewhere near the Ivy League bridge over the St Lawrence to the US.

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan

Ken:
Print off the instructions on the web page - "Setting up Steeldraulic Brakes" If you follow this to the letter your brakes will work fine. I have driven the 32 Frontenac for over 40 years and 60 thousand miles with no problem, even pulling a small camper trailer (To Milwaukee in 1968 and a Motorcycle trailer to Nebraska in 1992) I always felt that these brakes were equal to or better than Hydraulic brakes when set up according to directions.
The process is not a quick one. Make sure when you start you have the vehicle on good wheel stands and all four wheels off the floor, also that all the adjusting points are free and are able to be adjusted. It usually is an all day job and takes two people although one can do it . Do not set up so the pedal is too high, somewhere around half pedal to start with. Anything higher and the brakes will be hard and not efficient. I think this is one of the bigt problems most people have. They want to have the brake pedal up near the top. WRONG!!
I made a pedal depressor out of a pine board to hold the pedal down about 3" so I could set the individual clearances from there.

Gord

Where Are You From? Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 Frontenac

Ken I agree with Gordo, these brakes can be made to work just fine. It is an all day job to set them up properly though. The adjusting hole cover is to the front on the front brakes. Hard to believe but the cables can stretch over time. On cars still with their original setup that have been in service for some time the old mechanics would occaisionally put a 'kink' in the brake rods or cut out a section and reweld them back together. I guess they thought this was easier than removing the brake rod cutting it shorter and rethreading the clevis end? Anyway make sure the clevis and pin are in good shape with no wear(new ones can be purchased). Make sure the flexible cable moves freely in its housing sheath(some even have removable screws clamped on the sheath where you can add a little grease). The brake cross shaft should be straight, but if it has a little bow to it I can't see how that would be a problem, once you have it bolted to the frame by its brackets(check for binding). I heard once that the brake cross shaft was a safety measure for failure of the front universal joint! Probably not in cars with our Spicer universal joints, but when a front universal joint failed, dropped to the ground with the car moving at any speed, the could dig into the ground and then flip the car over. No doubt an unsettling experience. Our brake cross shafts would prevent that wild ride. Another thing- If the rear motor mount rubber vulcanizing has failed the motor mounts will settle on the frame and throw off the distances slightly. It's when they fail and settle on the fuel line that can be routed underneath the LH mount you get that head scratcher of why did my new fuel pump fail?Hee-hee Roscoe

Where Are You From? orygun

Do You own a car built by Durant? y

normie. it is in the nanual frank gave me....i am getting it copied now and should have it any day....

Where Are You From? 0

Do You own a car built by Durant? 2

Hi Gary ... Thanks ... just checking in on a whistle stop, as you all get a summer break from me until Oct. Gone to the trailor park since last Monday which has no pc or phone access. Busy as usual raking and working up there. Another year older, not wiser, and it appears slower, sigh.

Norm

Where Are You From? Ottawa Ont

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1932 614 sedan

normie, shop manual is "Frank's Durant shop manual from a dealer.....i have it to copy.....

Where Are You From? pennsylvania

Do You own a car built by Durant? 1929 model 70 coupe and 1931 6-14 ..4 door "coach"