The 62 hawk is running so well I decided to go on the maiden voyage ( 4 mi. to get my wife a coke). The hawk goes like crazy, stopping not so much.On the way home the left front seemed to lock up and had a very hard petal with Very little braking ability after that. Barely limped home,brakes smoking.Funny thing,the brakes seemed to work fine when backing into the garage.So I did a little more backup braking, worked fine, foreward not so much. I need professional help. Im looking for a fix enough to get me the 5 miles to mikes quality brake and exhaust. I plan on getting both brakes and new exhaust asap.Any suggestions on what to ask for/ watch for at the brakeshop would be appreciated. Thanks to all you experts
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Mechanical Bozo III stoping not so good
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I'm sure other's will disagree, but for me the only way to go is the Turner disc brake kits for the front, rebuit stock brakes in the rear, dual circuit master cylinder, and all new brake lines, both hard and rubber....your car, your life...why take a chance. Also don't be a CASO, get the car towed to the shop as it really sounds like your brakes are in serious need of a professional hand. Lotsa of forum guys will say that a complete rebuild of stock brakes will do, but in my city, the way people drive, stock brakes will not be good enough. No matter how much room I leave around me, others put me in the situation of having to constantly jump on the binders. New cars can still completely out-brake the Stude, but with my updated system, at least I have a better chance. The brake work is not going to be cheap, but I feel as a responsible Stude owner you need to pay if you want to drive the car on public road...nothing less will do. Just some thoughts. Juniorsigpic
1954 C5 Hamilton car.
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I agree...get the Turner conversion kit. Brakes are simply too important to cheap out on. Even the best brakes are barely good enough when it comes to your safety. Upgrading your braking system...hoses, rebuilding wheel cylinders, etc., is far cheaper than having a collision and dealing with the aftermath...not even mentioning injuries and medical costs.
Do it right and you won't regret it.Poet...Mystic...Soldier of Fortune. As always...self-absorbed, adversarial, cocky and in general a malcontent.
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OK I get it, discs are good...... and safe.Right now i am just trying to things functional enough to get it to a restorer i am considering to go thru the entire car.I took the hub thing off the left front, things looked pretty ok.There was some thick greasy stuff on one of pads, looks like it dripped down from axle center thing.Dont know if that would cause the lock up and hard petal. Any standard hydraulic brake fan out there?Last edited by Dudeabaker; 09-04-2011, 09:10 AM.
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As Junior said, don't mess around, have the car towed to the brake shop. It sounds like you are new at this game. No shame in that, we all started somewhere, sometime. In my opinion the brakes are not the place to start learning.
I started out with simple maintanence procedures, and gradually tackled more as I gained knowledge, confidence, and tools.Dwight 54 Commander hardtop
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I agree brakes are not to be taken lightly but in an attempt to answer specifically what you asked I believe you may have rubber hose problems in the front. The barkes are smoking because they are locked up. One reason for that could be hoses that are not allowing fluid to return. When driving forward the front brakes do about 60% of the work, but when backing the weight shift is reversed so the rears do more work. You apparently have front brake issues. I would start by replacing the front and rear rubber hoses, and the return springs along with new wheel cylinders. One trick is to drive the car (where it is safe like an empty lot) and after several braking events shut it off and reach under and feel each drum. Braking creates friction and friction creates heat. If one is cool it is not working, if one is too hot it is hanging up. Often times brake problems are not confined to simply whats under the brake drum.
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From your description, it sounds like your left front wheel cylinder is leaking. That would discolor the shoe, and cause it to drag. By all means, if you do not feel confident working on the brakes yourself, have it towed to the shop. You can still buy the brake cylinders new in most good sized towns, or you can order them from a Studebaker vender. Have the stock brakes rebuilt. Have them use all new rubber parts and new hoses. You will be good to go (within reason!) until a complete restoration can be scheduled.
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Originally posted by Dudeabaker View PostOK I get it, discs are good...... and safe.Right now i am just trying to things functional enough to get it to a restorer i am considering to go thru the entire car.I took the hub thing off the left front, things looked pretty ok.There was some thick greasy stuff on one of pads, looks like it dripped down from axle center thing.Dont know if that would cause the lock up and hard petal. Any standard hydraulic brake fan out there?"In the heart of Arkansas."
Searcy, Arkansas
1952 Commander 2 door. Really fine 259.
1952 2R pickup
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Thanks for the answer, i was beginning to feel like a lowlife schlub for not having the discos. I losened the left front adjuster and guess what. now the right front locks up. I looked at the rubber hoses and they are supple, tight and no leaks.Still works great in reverse, maybe i will get a huge mirror and drive backwards the 5 mi to the brake shop.Just kidding I'm not that big of a bozo.
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Originally posted by Dudeabaker View PostThanks for the answer, i was beginning to feel like a lowlife schlub for not having the discos. I losened the left front adjuster and guess what. now the right front locks up. I looked at the rubber hoses and they are supple, tight and no leaks.Still works great in reverse, maybe i will get a huge mirror and drive backwards the 5 mi to the brake shop.Just kidding I'm not that big of a bozo.--------------------------------------
Sold my 1962; Studeless at the moment
Borrowed Bams50's sigline here:
"Do they all not, by mere virtue of having survived as relics of a bygone era, amass a level of respect perhaps not accorded to them when they were new?"
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Originally posted by Dudeabaker View PostThanks for the answer, i was beginning to feel like a lowlife schlub for not having the discos. I losened the left front adjuster and guess what. now the right front locks up. I looked at the rubber hoses and they are supple, tight and no leaks.Still works great in reverse, maybe i will get a huge mirror and drive backwards the 5 mi to the brake shop.Just kidding I'm not that big of a bozo.
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It sounds like you have one of the pistons in a wheel cylinder that is not moving freely and when you release the brake the piston does not move back into the cylinder. I would do a complete brake job to be sure. Although I trust myself more than some mechanic down the road. On important things like brake I trust myself more... It's your own call, if you want to do it yourself and save lots of money I would get some experienced help. Do you know a friend that can come over and give advice?1948 M15A-20 Flatbed Truck Rescue
See rescue progress here on this blog:
http://studem15a-20.blogspot.com/
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Originally posted by Dudeabaker View PostThanks for the answer, i was beginning to feel like a lowlife schlub for not having the discos. .sigpic
1954 C5 Hamilton car.
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