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An issue with parking brake struts #1107159
11/04/11 07:10 PM 11/04/11 07:10 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 403
Western Oregon
bull Offline OP
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Western Oregon
I'm in the process of restoring a 68 Charger and both parking brake struts on the rear (with 10" drums) had been tilting down and rubbing on the inner axle hub which wore a quarter moon-shaped notch out of them. It seems to be a design flaw but I don't see a real need to replace them as there is still plenty of strength there. I have a couple of questions though: 1. is this a common problem? 2. Is there a way to keep them up out of the way?

Now that the notch is there it may not be an issue but if there is an easy fix I'd be willing to try it. It seems like you could almost put a metal tab under one of the axle flange bolts for the strut to rest on. Or maybe use a bench grinder to shape a larger notch out of them so they would clear.

1968 Charger 383/2bbl/4spd (1 of 74) 1994 Dakota Sport 3.9L/AT/2WD 2003 Durango SLT 4.7L/AT/4X4 Yes, all Dodges and nothing else
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: bull] #1107160
11/04/11 07:23 PM 11/04/11 07:23 PM
Joined: Aug 2005
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chicagoland,usa
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buildanother Offline
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You could replace those struts, or, you could close that gap up (vice etc)so that they fit more snugly around brake shoe and park brake lever, not too snug now. Also make sure there is a good spring at end of strut.

Last edited by buildanother; 11/04/11 08:02 PM.
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: buildanother] #1107161
11/04/11 07:48 PM 11/04/11 07:48 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 403
Western Oregon
bull Offline OP
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Western Oregon
Quote:

You could replace those struts, or, you could close that gap up (vice etc)so that they fit more snugly around brake shoe and park break lever, not too snug now. Also make sure there is a good spring at end of strut.



Yea, I wonder about the spring but I like your idea about closing the gap to make them tighter on the shoe and lever. That could take a lot of the slop out of it.

Replacing them without dealing with the fit wouldn't solve anything. It would just mean the contact would be worse since that spot isn't worn off. At least the old ones are worn off the point they barely touch now.

1968 Charger 383/2bbl/4spd (1 of 74) 1994 Dakota Sport 3.9L/AT/2WD 2003 Durango SLT 4.7L/AT/4X4 Yes, all Dodges and nothing else
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: bull] #1107162
11/04/11 09:21 PM 11/04/11 09:21 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
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Are the springs there and installed properly ? They shouldn't hang down that far if everything is installed correctly .
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: JohnRR] #1107163
11/04/11 10:57 PM 11/04/11 10:57 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
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Western Oregon
bull Offline OP
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Quote:

Are the springs there and installed properly ? They shouldn't hang down that far if everything is installed correctly .



As far as I know. I installed them according to the factory service manual. However the springs are not at all snug around the strut which, now that you mention it, might mean they aren't correct. I'm using what a previous owner put on the car so who knows what I've got.

1968 Charger 383/2bbl/4spd (1 of 74) 1994 Dakota Sport 3.9L/AT/2WD 2003 Durango SLT 4.7L/AT/4X4 Yes, all Dodges and nothing else
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: JohnRR] #1107164
11/05/11 07:05 AM 11/05/11 07:05 AM
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,386
White Plains, NY
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Quote:

Are the springs there and installed properly ? They shouldn't hang down that far if everything is installed correctly .



The strut lever springs need to be in the right direction,there are tabs and if you look in the FSM it will tell exactly how they go
Bob

Mom & Dad let me buy a brand new 70 Challenger R/T 440 Six-Pack Super Trac Pack when I was 17

(Robert what is a 440 Six-Pack)
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: JohnRR] #1107165
11/05/11 11:19 AM 11/05/11 11:19 AM
Joined: Nov 2003
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Lincoln Nebraska
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Quote:

They shouldn't hang down that far if everything is installed correctly .

What double R said, something is way wrong there. Correct/installed right strut levers both the horizontle lever and the PB vertical strut never come close to interfering that I have even seen/dealt with, with the possible exception of the shielded PB cable in the bottom being a bit too long (need the right ones) but doesn't sound like a cable prob from your descrip just threw that in

live every 24 hour block of time like it's your last day on earth
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: RapidRobert] #1107166
11/05/11 12:09 PM 11/05/11 12:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,287
Morrow, OH
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I had a similar problem on my 67 Coronet with 10 x 2 1/2 inch brakes on one side. It was not installed correctly.

67 Coronet 500 9.610 @ 139.20 mph
67 Coronet 500 (street car) 14.82 @ 94 mph
69 GTX (clone) - build in progress......
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: bull] #1107167
11/05/11 04:40 PM 11/05/11 04:40 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 403
Western Oregon
bull Offline OP
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Western Oregon
I understand what you're saying but I honestly don't think they are installed wrong. The spring on the one end has a large diameter - so much so that it does not hold the strut in place. You could fit two struts inside this spring.

6905049-strutspring.jpg (30 downloads)
1968 Charger 383/2bbl/4spd (1 of 74) 1994 Dakota Sport 3.9L/AT/2WD 2003 Durango SLT 4.7L/AT/4X4 Yes, all Dodges and nothing else
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: bull] #1107168
11/05/11 05:12 PM 11/05/11 05:12 PM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 75,094
A Banana Republic near you.
JohnRR Offline
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Quote:

I understand what you're saying but I honestly don't think they are installed wrong. The spring on the one end has a large diameter - so much so that it does not hold the strut in place. You could fit two struts inside this spring.



I want to say that is the wrong spring , it's too big .
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: JohnRR] #1107169
11/05/11 08:36 PM 11/05/11 08:36 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 92
south carolina U.S.
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DOUGG Offline
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had the same thing on my 65.I could'nt see the spring tab in pictures from the fsm, so I thought maybe the tab fits behind the brake shoe. I installed the spring with tab facing foward & behind the shoe. that gave enough upward tension on the strut to hold it up. May not be correct, but works for me

[
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: DOUGG] #1107170
11/05/11 11:35 PM 11/05/11 11:35 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 403
Western Oregon
bull Offline OP
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Western Oregon
Today I went up to Wildcat Auto Wrecking to see about getting some used struts and springs and what I found was exactly the same as what I have: big springs and struts with worn radiuses where they had been rubbing on the axle hub. I didn't buy anything, as you might have guessed.

I had thought about that spring tab placement too, Dougg, so thanks for the suggestion on that. That's about all I have left to try.

1968 Charger 383/2bbl/4spd (1 of 74) 1994 Dakota Sport 3.9L/AT/2WD 2003 Durango SLT 4.7L/AT/4X4 Yes, all Dodges and nothing else
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: bull] #1107171
11/05/11 11:44 PM 11/05/11 11:44 PM
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,628
Columbus, Ohio
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Will not call anyone a liar without photo proof. I need to see photos of how this is installed on the car. I too have never seen one come in contact like that. Can you supply photos on the car?
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: wheelsup68dart] #1107172
11/06/11 12:21 AM 11/06/11 12:21 AM
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,016
Polson, MT
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That is very common with the early design strut.

Newer 10" brakes came with a much longer fork on the end of the strut to combat the problem.

Contact info
Re: An issue with parking brake struts [Re: DOUGG] #1107173
11/06/11 12:23 AM 11/06/11 12:23 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 403
Western Oregon
bull Offline OP
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Western Oregon
Quote:

had the same thing on my 65.I could'nt see the spring tab in pictures from the fsm, so I thought maybe the tab fits behind the brake shoe. I installed the spring with tab facing foward & behind the shoe. that gave enough upward tension on the strut to hold it up. May not be correct, but works for me



That was the ticket. It helped on the driver side a lot; somewhat of an improvement on the passenger side but the driver side had the most wear. With the spring tab set to the inside of the shoe the strut sits flat and straight. And when I press down on the strut and then let go it bounces right back out of the way. The FSM shows the spring tab on the outside of the shoe on the passenger side but the pic of the driver side does not show it clearly.

1968 Charger 383/2bbl/4spd (1 of 74) 1994 Dakota Sport 3.9L/AT/2WD 2003 Durango SLT 4.7L/AT/4X4 Yes, all Dodges and nothing else

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