Brakes: Brake Pedal Retaining Bolt

[Don M]

I am restoring a 1954 Commander Coupe ("C"). It is an automatic, so it has the two arm style brake pedal assembly. Since there is no clutch pedal, it does not have the "clutch pedal shaft", instead it uses a 3/8" bolt with flat washers, a lock washer, and a nut. This holds the pedal pivot onto the pivot shaft, which is welded to the frame.

I didn't take this apart, a now bankrupt shop did, so I can't figure this out. The pedal pivot has thin brass bearings inside. The assembly slides onto the pivot tube (again, the part welded to the frame). The 3/8" bolt then passes through the pivot tube with washers at each end. But the inside diameter of the tube is way greater than 3/8", so the bolt would rattle around. I have all the manuals, but they just aren't that clear. The Chassis Parts Catalog does list two bushings, but I can't tell if those are bushings to center the 3/8" bolt in the pivot tube, or if those are the brass bushings already in the pedal pivot. The illustration # is 1108-2, and the part number is 517152. Neither S.I. or Stephen Allen's seems to have this part. I'm stumped, can anyone help??? Don M.

[Dwain G.]

Sounds like you have the type 'B' pedal and someone tried to drill out the bushings to replace them. New pedals come with the bushings you mentioned already installed. So you could try to find a new pedal, or take your pedal and the bolt ( not worn?) to a machinist and let him extract the old pieces and supply new bushings and press them in.

[Don M]

Yes, it is a "type B" pedal assembly (with the two-piece secondary arm). The brass bushings inside the pedal pivot fit perfectly on the chassis mounted pivot tube, and the pedal moves well with no wiggle. That isn't the problem... It's that there is nothing to "center" the 3/8" bolt in the chassis mounted pivot tube. The I.D. of that tube is around 3/4"-7/8", so it seems that the bolt should have another set of bushings or something to center it in the tube, the same way the "clutch pedal shaft" on manual transmissions would need to be centered.

[Dwain G.]

Sorry, misread the question. I think the only support for the outer end of the long bolt is the strap (illus. 1104-26 in the parts book). If you have the '53 shop manual there's a pic in the brake section, page 2, fig. 3.

[Don M]

Thanks Dwain -- Would you happen to know if there is a bushing at the "head" end of the bolt, which should be located on the inboard side of the frame (not visible in Fig. 3) Unfortunately, almost all of the illustrations are for manual transmissions, so they show the clutch set-up. The best picture I have is in the Chassis Parts book (Plate 11-9, Page 213, Type B exploded view). But it isn't clear at all.

[Dwain G.]

Isn't the hole in the inboard side of the frame rail the same size as the bolt?

[Don M]

Hi Dwain (and anyone else that is reading this!) I just took a trip to the shop where the frame is. The I.D. of the tube is 5/8". So the 3/8" bolt rattles around a lot. The 55-58 Chassis Parts Book is clearer about this. It indicates that a bushing should be inside each end of the tube. The numbers given are 517152 or 1543913. But nobody seems to carry these parts.

[Dwain G.]

Thank you! As you can see I've never done that job before. The step operation and time guide calls that the brake pedal hub bushings. I should have caught that. It shouldn't be too hard to find bushings at a hardware or auto parts store.

[tsenecal]

If you can find some 3/4" teflon, you could cut some out a bit oversized, drill them to 3/8" then use that hole to rotate them and sand them down to the radius needed. If not real handy, most shops should be able to make some up for you.

[bezhawk]

Would later brake pedal nylon bushings work? I always replace then on the brake, and clutch shafts, on later Studes, and also the supercharger idler arm...all take the same bushing.

[Don M]

I saw those nylon bushings, but it appears that the I.D. is greater than 3/8". I also found one in Stephen Allen's site that is designed for the clutch pedal shaft (manual transmissions). I suspect he 3/8" bolt would fit the same hole as that shaft, since it was a mid-year (1954) switch from using that shaft as a pedal retainer to simply using a bolt. Both the shaft and the 3/8" bolt pass up the center of the tube welded to the frame.

[rkapteyn]

https://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/forum/your-studebaker-forum/tech-talk/85676-brake-pedal-bushings-for-54-car

[Don M]

Yikes, this is so confusing!!! The 2014 post referred to above is dealing with the bronze bushing inside the pedal arm pivot ring. It then slips over the pivot tube welded to the frame. I have all of those things, and they are in fine shape. The bushings I am referring to are inside the pivot tube welded to the frame. On manual transmission models they act as bearing surfaces for the clutch pedal pivot shaft that passes through the frame. But on automatic transmission models Studebaker simply used a 3/8" bolt to hold the pedals on after mid-year, 1954. Something must keep that bolt "centered" in the tube. You'd think that they might have used the same bushings used for the clutch shaft, but none of the Studebaker manuals/parts books are clear about that.

[Dwain G.]

Same mistake I was making. No one seems to know there are bushings inside that tube, or pedal 'hub'.

[Don M]

You've got that right, Dwain! But I just can't imagine that Studebaker let that 3/8" Dia. bolt rattle around in a 5/8" (I.D.) tube! Could you imagine the assembly instructions for factory floor --- "center bolt as best you can, kinda-sorta, then tighten nut". But then again when you consider how a C/K hood fits...