Brakes: Rear brakes on 81 Avanti II

[gthawkr2]

Need help understanding the purpose of a tab at the bottom of the rear brake. It connects by cable to the top postl. Thought it may have something to do with the star wheel adjuster but it doesn't touch it. Any help will be appreciated. It has taken me 16 years to get around to working on the brakes and would like to put it back together.

Jim

[41 Frank]

The tab and the cable are part of the self adjusting feature of the brakes. Usually the tab will be touching the star wheel.

[StudeRich]

Those are self adjusting Chev. rear brakes, not Stude.

Apparently your Avanti is a LATE '71, the Early '71 was the last of the Studebaker type Dunlop/Bendix Disc Brake setup.

[gthawkr2]

Thanks for the help. Found one cable wedged behind the guide so it now moves but I could not get it to move the star wheel so I gave up, will adjust periodically like in the old days. New wheel cylinders in the back and Turner discs up front and seems to stop much better.

Jim

[bensherb]

The self adjuster system most often functions when braking in reverse, but not always, some work when the parking brake is engauged. If the brake is out of adjustment and you brake while reversing, the rear shoe will lift off the anchor pin pulling the cable and ratcheting the "tab" against the star wheel. When the brake is released the spring will pull the tab back down turning the star and adjusting the brake.


If the tab is not turning the star, it may be that the star is incorrect or worn too much to function, the adjuster threads are seized, or the cable is too long or routed wrong.