New front brakes (part 3)
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 9:51 am
I adjusted the braked with a brake gauge, this makes the job easy. The shoes have to be centered correctly first, just tap with a hammer. On each backing plate there are lubrication points where brake grease needs to be applied, this allows the shoes to move easier and retract, too. Here is an example of a brake gauge, which is essential if you own a Pinzgauer or any vehicle with drums https://www.zoro.com/westward-brake-res ... gJ-tPD_BwE
When I lowered the Pinz off of the jacks I had so much positive camber that I could not drive it out of the garage, as the top clears the door header by 1/4" on a good day. The cure? Back it up and pull forward a few times and the camber went back to normal. I only had 36 inches of floor space to work with as the tool box was in the way.
The results were incredible, the Pinz now stops like a Cadillac with MUCH less effort and pedal travel of less than 3 inches! Disc brakes be damned, I'm sticking with the OEM drums. I calculated the total swept area of the brakes to be about 1.8 square feet, much more than enough to stop a fully loaded Pinz.
I would recommend this procedure to anyone who still has the original wheel cylinders and power booster, the difference is amazing. The total cost was around $400 plus brake fluid (use DOT 3) including the rears and you can do it yourself. Replace the brake hose clips at the same time. I didn't rebuild the rear cylinders yet, that is for next weekend. The results can only get better!
Here is an example of a new brake booster https://swissarmyvehicles.com/pinzgauer ... ke-booster I am not favoring any supplier, this was the easiest to find. All of the parts suppliers are good.