Well gentleman I have finally started work on the chevelle. I have ordered new lines from rightstuffdetailing. I decided on OEM lines rather than Stainless. Today I have installed new shoes, a cylinder, and new spring hardware kit on the right front brake. Here's what it looked like before:
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/iowacar/IMG_4138.jpg



as you can see the shoes needed replacement:
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/iowacar/IMG_4156.jpg



and the drums are being turned:
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/iowacar/IMG_4163.jpg



Alot of brown sandy crap came out of here:
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/iowacar/IMG_4151.jpg



and here is the final product!!
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/iowacar/IMG_4169.jpg
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/iowacar/IMG_4167.jpg



Hopefully these pics show up, this is my first time trying to upload them.
Well, after a bump on the head, a couple pinched fingers, and a few not so nice words, I think it is time for a beer!

Here is a pic of the car:
http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/iowacar/IMG_4176.jpg

wow looks good, and what a beautiful malibu!

wow looks good, and what a beautiful malibu!

Thank you! It only has 67,000 original miles.
307, powerglide, 4 wheel drums, bench seat

Unfortunatley, you have the shoes in the wrong position. The short lining one goes on the front and the longer lining one goes on the rear. The springs are assembled correctly.

Unfortunatley, you have the shoes in the wrong position. The short lining one goes on the front and the longer lining one goes on the rear. The springs are assembled correctly.

And yes, it does matter. It won't stop as well as it should with the shoes reversed. Ask me how I know.....

Thanks for the insight! My friends ask me how I know how to do this stuff, I tell them you can't be afraid to screw something up. Well,, you live and learn. I guess a couple more pinched fingers are on the way!

And yes, it does matter. It won't stop as well as it should with the shoes reversed. Ask me how I know.....


Yep, with out a wedge affect, drums don't work very well:yes:

I, too, have a Malibu, but mine is a 72! Looking at your pics, the underside is in same condition as mine. I just rebuilt my brakes as well and am having a thumping noise and feel coming from front. Good luck with yours!
Tim Audley

p.s. love those rims! Original?

p.s. love those rims! Original?

I believe so

Quick question-
When installing the shoes I had some grease/gunk on my hands and got some on the shoes while handling them. I read somewhere that hydraulic fluid is bad for the shoes, will the grease "burn off" or should I replace the shoe again?

Just get yourself a can of brake parts cleaner and spray everything down LIBERALLY.. Nice work there :thumbsup:

PS, if you don't have one get yourself a spring tool and save your fingers :yes:

I always "wash" off any grease I got on the shoes with aerosol brake cleaner.

I just wanted to ask did you inspect the wheel bearings and repack them while you had it apart?

I just wanted to ask did you inspect the wheel bearings and repack them while you had it apart?

I thought about it but decided not to because:
1) never done it
2) if i screw it up = more money (I'm married)
3) car only has 67,000 miles
4) I tugged on the hub every which way and it seemed real solid, no play

What you you think? Should I check them out? I've had to redue the pax side shoe and spring assembly, and I've done the drivers side so I'm getting real good and taking the brakes apart so it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

You wouldn't have to touch the brakes to repack the wheel bearings. If there is no play, they aren't worn but that doesn't mean you don't need to repack the bearings. It's an easy job, but it's messy. If you do tackle the job, expect to at least replace the seal at the back of the hub which will likely be destroyed getting the hub off. These seal are probably less than $5 each, you'll need two.

If you want to do this job:

1. remove the brake drum and then remove the dust cap off the center of the hub. Often you can get a large flat screwdriver blade just under the ridge on the cap and begin to pry one side out to get it started off.

2. remove the cotter pin, plan on replacing it if it has been bent back and forth more than once. Best bet is to simply replace it no matter what. If the cotter pin falls out, your wheel falls off!

3. remove the castle nut and the large washer and the outside bearing from the spindle.

4. replace the nut temporarily and then tug the hub off the spindle. The nut will catch on the inner bearing and also the seal on the back. A simple firm tug should remove the bearing and the seal. Set the hub aside and remove the nut, inner bearing and seal from the spindle.

5. remove all of the old grease from the bearings and from inside the hub.

6. clean the bearings like you were going to eat off of them. If you use a cleaning fluid of some sort, make sure all of it is removed before packing the bearings. It's best to use a cleaner that evaporates quickly like brake cleaner. DO NOT use compressed air to dry the bearings! Clean the inside of the hubs in a similar manner and make sure not to scratch the bearing races inside the hub. If any of the races or bearings show wear (rough spots, scoring or deep scratches), you'll need to replace them. (If you need to replace them let us know and we'll lead you through how to do that.)

7. tools are available to repack the bearings, but I still think it's better to do it by hand. First, make sure you are using WHEEL BEARING GREASE. Grease you put into the ball joints, etc. may not be correct. Wheel bearing grease is typically very thick. Pack a liberal amount of grease inside the hub. Fill the hollow area between the races with grease up to the edges of the races. Apply a coating of grease on the races. Take a good sized glob of grease in the palm of one hand and with the other hand, work the bearing into the glob working grease into the area of the bearing between the inner and outer ring. Turn the bearing this way and that and force grease into all the recessed areas. Turn the inner and outer rings of the bearing to work the grease in behind each roller. Work it, work it and work it until all the recessed areas of the bearing are filled with grease. Glop excess grease on the outside of the bearing. Clean the spindle and apply a thin film of grease to the spindle itself.

8. place the rear bearing into the back of the hub and gently tap in the new rear seal with a flat block of wood and a hammer or mallet. Place the hub on the spindle and place the outer bearing onto the spindle and into the hub. Press it gently into its race and install the washer with the finger in the slot on the spindle and start on the castle nut. Tighten the castle nut WITH YOUR FINGERS ONLY until the hub can no longer wiggle freely. Using large pliers or channel locks or a large wrench if you have one, turn the castle nut in to the next available cotter pin hole and temporarily install the new cotter pin. Check that the hub cannot move up and down nor inboard or outboard. If the hub can wiggle, remove the cotter pin and tighten it one more hole. The hub should turn pretty easy when it is tight enough though do recall that the thickness of the grease will prevent it from spinning by itself. If you feel any binding or difficulty turning the hub, you probably have the bearing nut too tight.

9. install the cotter pin and bend over the tails, reinstall the dust cap and brake drum. Temporarily install the wheel with at least two lug nuts and snug them down. You should be able to spin the wheel easily. Pull at the top and bottom and sides of the wheel and you should not feel any movement. If you do, go back into the hub nut and snug it down further.

Over tightening the nut is as bad as not tightening the nut enough. The goal is to remove all wiggle room while maintaining a smooth and free turning hub.

I'll try to tackle that job today... Can you put too much grease in the hub?

I'll try to tackle that job today... Can you put too much grease in the hub?

Yes, if you put in too much it will leak out all over your fresh new brakes! Pack the recess in the hub only in the area between the bearing races, don't pack the entire inside of the hub with grease. Don't put in so much grease that you can see it sticking up above the races. Remember, the spindle has to pass through the center of the hub and there needs to be some air space in there for the grease to expand. It's okay to make the bearings themselves look like little blobs of grease with a bearing in the middle.

Also avoid the temptation to pack more grease on the outside of the washer and the castle nut. Grease here does nothing and can only cause grease to leak out the dust cap. The inside of the dust cap really shouldn't have any grease in it. A bit of grease on the backside of the washer where it pressed up against the outside bearing is sufficient and should be taken care of by the coating you place on the bearing itself.

It's a messy job, make sure to check your brake shoes for greasy fingerprints before you button it all up. If you touched the shoe in any spot, hose it off with some spray on brake cleaner. It shoots out with some force, so be prepared for some spary back. You don't want this stuff in your eyes or on your skin any more than necessary. I always wear disposable rubber gloves when working on my car anymore.

Thanks for your quick replies Rich. I'm right in the middle of replacing all the brake lines. So far the front drums are done and the 2 lines coming off them are done. I'll stop there and try tackling the front bearings today.

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/iowacar/IMG_4229.jpg

Rich-
I just finished repacking the pax side bearing. I followed your instructions exactly. If i try to wiggle the hub it doesn't move but still spins freely. But when I put the tire back on I could wiggle the hub a little. So I tried tighting the castle nut one more notch but couldn't spin it until the next hole, even with a wrench. So I backed it off to the original hole.
I then put the tire back on the drivers side and wiggled that one. It wiggles as much as the pax side, so I'm thinking this is normal. Any thoughts?

Rich-
I just finished repacking the pax side bearing. I followed your instructions exactly. If i try to wiggle the hub it doesn't move but still spins freely. But when I put the tire back on I could wiggle the hub a little. So I tried tighting the castle nut one more notch but couldn't spin it until the next hole, even with a wrench. So I backed it off to the original hole.
I then put the tire back on the drivers side and wiggled that one. It wiggles as much as the pax side, so I'm thinking this is normal. Any thoughts?

Thats good, you have it right. For sure dont use a wrench on those castle nuts. See, its pretty easy eh? Replace those shocks, they look kinda old. Looks like your whole suspension could use a rebuild. How about new bushings and ball joints? I think those upper ball joints are originals, they looked riveted in to me.

Thats good, you have it right. For sure dont use a wrench on those castle nuts. See, its pretty easy eh? Replace those shocks, they look kinda old. Looks like your whole suspension could use a rebuild. How about new bushings and ball joints? I think those upper ball joints are originals, they looked riveted in to me.

Thanks for your reply. Yes the chevelle needs alot of work. I've had it for a couple years in storage and finally have a garage to work on it and money to buy parts. I just started working on it last week. So far I have rebuilt the front drums with new cylinders, shoes, hardware, and cut the drums. A whole new brake line set from rightstuffdetailing just arrived yesterday. I have finished repacking both front bearings. After the lines go on I need tires, shocks, springs, bushings, balljoints, and a steering rebuild before I feel safe taking it on the road.

As Brett said, sounds like you got it right on the bearings preload.

Excellent!

What's the general consensus on replacing my proportioning valve. At least that's what I think it is. I have 4 wheel manual drums. can I just clean this out?

http://i214.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/iowacar/IMG_4296.jpg