Brake linkage slop Avanti

[Thomas63R2]

Okay, besides replacing the bushings on the pedal - what else have you guys done to tighten up the brake pedal linkage and eliminate slop. My brake pedal has ~ 1.25" of movement before it begins to move the rod going into the brake booster.

Are there some other bushings that are redily adaptable to the other wear and contact points that did not use bushings from the factory?

Thomas

Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[64V-K7]

I don't know how much this will help, but the pedal strut to the actuator rod is connected by an eccentric bolt. You can rotate the bolt before tightening it to adjust the pedal height, but maybe it can help your situation.



Bob Johnstone

https://www.studebaker-info.org

64 GT Hawk
55 President State Sedan
70 Avanti (R3)

[Thomas63R2]

Thanks Bob, anything that will take up slack would be good. I'll look for an eccentric bolt - is this # 1552039?

Thomas


Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[avantir3]

I can't tell from your picture of the car, is the brake system stock? nothing added to it or changed?
you could change the rod length fo a quick adjustment.

Studebaker-The Little Company That Could Did-AVANTI
1963 R2 Hot!
1964 Daytona Wagonair
1981 Avanti (for sale $8500.00)
1965 Commander Wagonair (for sale $2500.00)
Southbury, CT.

[Thomas63R2]

Roland - what picture of my car? The pictures in Bob's reply are Bob's pictures. My brake system is all stock. The factory linkage rods are solid and non-adjustable. I could cut the rod and make it adjustable.

Bob, I think the eccentric bolt is on Hawks, not on Avantis. At least I haven't found an adjustment like that yet.

I called up Jon Myer today, he couldn't recall seeing an Avanti though his shop with that much slop in the linkage. His suggestion was that there is an incorrect part somewhere in the linkage or bracketry. I have an Avanti *neighbor* a couple of miles up the road, I'll check my car and the linkage parts against his car.

Although my odometer currently shows 6,947 miles, my guess is that it is on its third rotation and that the car has 206,947 miles. In other words all of the brake linkage has good reason for being sloppy. Really, at all of the linkage contact points it is loose and worn. My brakes have been crappy for a long time, I am fixing that now and I'm okay with machining bushings up to filling all the slack points that are normally non-serviceable.

I ordered up new pedal bushings from Jon, and I have a plan to use parts from http://www.mcmaster.com/#sleeve-bushings/=18jkn1 to help take out the slack of the linkage parts that are no longer available.

Thomas

Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[Thomas63R2]

Repair update: new bushings and adjustment have eliminated almost all the slop! I replaced a total of 6 bushings: 4 larger bushings on the pedal assembly for the clutch and brake pedal, and 2 smaller bushings on the actuator rod to the brake pedal arm. Half of the original bushings were completely missing. I stand corrected on an adjustment eccentric - the Avanti does have one right where the actuator rod attaches to the brake pedal arm. The combined total of the new bushings and eccentric adustment have cut the slop to about 3/4" - and made the brake feel and power the best they have ever been. Instead of the pedal going practically to the floor before much braking force was applied, I now have the classic '60's overboosted soft touch makes the brakes really grab feeling. When I get a little ambition I will take the firewall linkage off and drill it out for bronze bushings. The firewall linkage never came with bushings, and the holes in the connecting points are oval shaped from all the miles. On a car with fewer miles and less wear the eccentric adjustment would take up the slack. On my car with the eccentric adjusted to the max it still isn't enough to take up all the slack. Still, my brakes are practically fantastic now that I have a more useable range of pedal action.

Thomas

Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[WCP]

Thomas, I have a booster mount and pieces from a burnt Avanti that should blast up and paint quite nicely, if I can locate them. Since we're e-mailing on the booster kit, let me know if you are interested. Once I locate them I can send a picture.