Thread: Brake help please....

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I mentioned I'm putting on a new chrome front end on my roadster. I'm just putting the new brakes on. The new caliper/pads are not like the ones I'm taking off and I have a couple questions.

The inner pads next to the piston are mirror images of each other. There is a small channel shaped metal piece that is on the right side of one and left side of the other. So depending on which side of the car I put it on, it'll either be on the leading or trailing side of the pad. Which is correct? This is shown in the close up pic number two.

There is a very small metal piece (pic 3) that I do not know where it goes. Anybody help?

Thanks in advance!

It would be easier if you posted the photos you referred to.

Yeah, That might help. Been a long day...

OK, photos uploaded. Thanks Henry!

The small piece attached to the pad is the wear indicator - typically on the trailing side of the assembly. That's the piece that produces a rather obnoxious scream when it contacts the rotor indicating that it's time for new pads. The other bit appears to be a support plate and they usually snap over a same size surface on the fixed portion of the caliper and provide a support to keep the pad aligned as it moves in and out. If you know what the brake assembly actually fit, you can google search and perhaps find an IPB for you particular setup.

Best,
Glenn

It's supposed to fit a '78-'88 GM mid size such as a monte carlo. What's an IBP?

That's the same caliper I have on my '34, and I don't recognize that part. What brand was the caliper and brake shoes?

Originally Posted by Henry Rifle

That's the same caliper I have on my '34, and I don't recognize that part. What brand was the caliper and brake shoes?

Speedway shoes and caliper:
Speedway Soft Street Brake Pads, GM Metric 1978-UP - Speedway Motors, America's Oldest Speed Shop
1978-Up GM Metric Brake Calipers, IMCA Approved - Speedway Motors, America's Oldest Speed Shop

IPB illustrated parts breakdown..

Originally Posted by ocezam

Speedway shoes and caliper:
Speedway Soft Street Brake Pads, GM Metric 1978-UP - Speedway Motors, America's Oldest Speed Shop
1978-Up GM Metric Brake Calipers, IMCA Approved - Speedway Motors, America's Oldest Speed Shop

Ocezam, if I were you I'd call Speedway's Tech Line and ask them to explain where that last piece shown is supposed to fit. They've been helpful to me in the past when I was trying to figure out details of their product line.

Yeah, if I don't get a good answer today, I'll call Speedway in the morning.

According to GM information, the wear indicator should be where the rotor turns into the caliber.

Some call this the "leading edge". Just make sure that as the rotor turns in the forward direction, the wear indicator would be "seeing" the leading surface of the rotor as it entered the pad zone.

So another way of description, if you put your finger on the rotor surface and think about turning the rotor in the forward direction, your finger would touch the wear indicator before the pad friction material.

Also, when I look at the GM illustrations for the caliper and pads, I do NOT see the other part. I do not know what is for at all? Best call Speedway to see what they say.

That goes on the inner pad (center of, vertically) It supposedly stops the pad from rattling when driving down the road. Do a test fit and if it isn't a snug fit on the pad, whack it a few times to close the tolerance of the fit. If you do not use it NOTHING bad will happen.

Anytime I see chromed suspension, steering or brake parts, I try to bring the builder's attention to the phenomenon of HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT.
It's the creation of free hydrogen atoms in the atomic structure of steel parts by the process of electrolytic plating of the parts. Could be chrome, cadmium, whatever, it's the electrolysis that causes the problem. These free hydrogen atoms can be baked out of the pieces if they are baked within a few hours of being plated, but when you buy parts already chromed, you have no idea if they have been baked or not and if they were, when? I believe it was Pat Ganahl who said that he sees a couple hundred busted front ends a year on rod runs. Many of these could be the result of embrittlement and many could be the results of poor engineering in the first place. I just want you to know that it is possible that your chromed parts could crack internally and lay down on you at the worst possible time. Or they could last your lifetime and the next owner's lifetime.
Hydrogen embrittlement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Originally Posted by JoeE42Ford

That goes on the inner pad (center of, vertically) It supposedly stops the pad from rattling when driving down the road. Do a test fit and if it isn't a snug fit on the pad, whack it a few times to close the tolerance of the fit. If you do not use it NOTHING bad will happen.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your time.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Anytime I see chromed suspension, steering or brake parts, I try to bring the builder's attention to the phenomenon of HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT.
It's the creation of free hydrogen atoms in the atomic structure of steel parts by the process of electrolytic plating of the parts. These free hydrogen atoms can be baked out of the pieces if they are baked within a few hours of being plated, but when you buy parts already chromed, you have no idea if they have been baked or not and if they were, when? I believe it was Pat Ganahl who said that he sees a couple hundred busted front ends a year on rod runs. Many of these could be the result of embrittlement and many could be the results of poor engineering in the first place. I just want you to know that it is possible that your chromed parts could crack internally and lay down on you at the worst possible time. Or they could last your lifetime and the next owner's lifetime.
Hydrogen embrittlement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Yes, I am aware of that, thanks.