How in the world do you adjust the cams on the rear brakes of a 58 Plymouth? My new brake shoes need adjusted in just a little bit but I can't find any info specific to the 58 models.

Apparently it is slightly easier then brain surgery or rocket science and takes days to do and a special tool, ... go to the forward look site and do a search.

Mopar used the same cam and anchor adjusting process from the late 30s up until around 1960. I doubt you will find the procedure in every year of service manual, Mopar figured that they could cover procedures for mechanical changes about the date the changes first occurred, and then maybe print a reminder every 4-5 years afterwards. They must not have seen a need to reprint the same procedure in every manual. Kind of sucks when you don't know the procedure, or what year it changed, but at least there are web sites that can provide the procedure for you.

There is a specific process to adjust the brakes, and if you want them to work, you need to find the procedure and follow it. In addition to the adjusting cams, I believe either the top or the bottom anchor post (maybe both) is/are eccentric as well and rotate to adjust the shoe to drum distance. Gene

It on page 44 of the manual located here

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/servicemanuals/1957_1958_Plymouth_Service_Manual.zip

And no, it's not like the FSM specified adjustments on earlier ones like my 51 but it is like how I do my adjustments.

Thanks, that is what I needed

Is this you?
forward look same year

Yes it is me. I'm going to tackle that project one more time in the morning.

I "adjusted" the rear brakes on my Daughters 61 Bev/Fury by bolting in a 70 E body drum rear end, problem solved...you think the rear are a PITA, wait until you think you got the front squared away and go out for a drive, after the umpteen adjustment, and seeing how archaic the systems performance is, a front disc swap/rear end swap will be in order

Mike

My 51 still sports the stock brakes, stops straight and true with a nice firm pedal and can lock them all up. Not really all that difficult to adjust them. Granted they aren't the centerplane type like the OP's, but an even more primitive and tedious to adjust setup than his though.

That may be an option in the future but for right now it's more of a challenge to figure it out and make them work. They worked on tens of thousands of cars for decades.

Sorry to hijack but do you guys have know any disc brake swap kits? Or an RB engine swap kit? lol. I guess I'll be hanging around the street rod section now as I just purchased a 58 Plymouth suburban project. My first foray into the forward look cars. I'm pretty excited to tear into this thing. I look forward(nyuk, nyuk) to bugging you guys.

Dakota truck :

Hosehead, any 57-60 Mopars are unique vehicles. There was a disc brake conversion that was around about 10 years, I don't know if its still available. For the most part, you have entered the "make it yourself" era of Mopars, I hope you have brushed up on your fabrication skills, your going to need it.
I suggest you look around the street rod section, there have been a few build covering the 57-60 Mopars. Gene

scarebird.com may have a disc kit.

Thanks guys. Im not afraid to use the original stuff while it is stock but if I put any power to it, id want to upgrade the brakes.