Brake Balance Bar Question?

[340challconvert]

Rebuilt my rear brakes; probably last did the shoes only in 1980.

Question: the balance bars on left and right side (slotted flat side and curved slotted side) mine are different then the pictures I have seen on other mopar brake rebuilds. The bars on other rebuilds, the curved part appears to be a little more longer/extended.

On both the left and right side, the curved end of the bar w spring is short (about 3/4 in bend)
Other rear brakes I have seen, the bend part of the bar extends a little further.

My left side rear; curved side w spring points down on the shoe.
My right side rear; curved side w spring points up on the shoe

On other rebuilds, the bars always appear to point down on the shoe on both sides.

My car is an early October 1969 build. Owned the car since 1979 and date codes on the my balance bars are both from 1969, I would think they are original!

What gives?

1st pic- left side newly rebuilt exactly as it was (bar pointing down on shoe)
2nd pic- rt side before rebuild (shows bar pointing up)
3rd pic- rt side pic of another rebuild (bar points down and is larger.

 

[moparlee]

Rebuilt my rear brakes; probably last did the shoes only in 1980.

Question: the balance bars on left and right side (slotted flat side and curved slotted side) mine are different then the pictures I have seen on other mopar brake rebuilds. The bars on other rebuilds, the curved part appears to be a little more longer/extended.

On both the left and right side, the curved end of the bar w spring is short (about 3/4 in bend)
Other rear brakes I have seen, the bend part of the bar extends a little further.

My left side rear; curved side w spring points down on the shoe.
My right side rear; curved side w spring points up on the shoe

On other rebuilds, the bars always appear to point down on the shoe on both sides.

My car is an early October 1969 build. Owned the car since 1979 and date codes on the my balance bars are both from 1969, I would think they are original!

What gives?

1st pic- left side newly rebuilt exactly as it was (bar pointing down on shoe)
2nd pic- rt side before rebuild (shows bar pointing up)
3rd pic- rt side pic of another rebuild (bar points down and is larger.

Mine is a 1971, but with the same HD brakes. The bars curved ends (and both have long ends) point down on both sides and they are marked R and L.

 

[340challconvert]

moparlee, thanks for the response.
Your parking brake strut levers look correct (left & right sides are different)
Someone told me the Levers were the same for left & right. Apprently they are wrong.
My car apparently has two left side levers on the rear brakes. Both had the same Mopar part number on them and date coded for 1969.
Where did you get the new strut levers for your car? (10 in brakes) Thanks

 

[quapman]

Hmmm... I've done dozens of brake jobs on these old relics and have never seen spreader bars (my term) with a tab on them like Lee has. I wonder if it's a 71 thing... I've had very few 71s.

I concur on the L&Rs being different. I imagine your car got two of one side because they ran out of the other on the line or the wrong part got in the bin. Quality control? What's that?

 

[dadeo1852]

Paharamia,
Not saying right or wrong buy my 70 R/T (A34 car) matches what you have and I pulled my pics from before the restoration and it also matches.

 

[moparlee]

moparlee, thanks for the response.
Your parking brake strut levers look correct (left & right sides are different)
Someone told me the Levers were the same for left & right. Apprently they are wrong.
My car apparently has two left side levers on the rear brakes. Both had the same Mopar part number on them and date coded for 1969.
Where did you get the new strut levers for your car? (10 in brakes) Thanks

I double checked and my rear brakes are the 11". The FSM for 1971 shows that the strut levers are different between the 10" (like yours) and the 11". Not sure about the 1970 brakes. I got mine off ebay and just checking there are some listed with the smaller tab like you have.

 

[340challconvert]

dadeo1852
Thanks for the response.
Both of my brake strut levers left and right sides are identical with a part number 2409823 and date coded 1969 w the 10" rear brakes and front disc.
My thinking is that the factory used the identical levers for both sides back then?

The reproduction sets that they sell have the same 823 part number and are identical rather then selling opposite left and ride side levers

I have owned the car since 1979 and as far as I know, they should be originals?
Was just worried that on the right side rear, the lever was pointing up rather then down when I tore the brakes down,but appears like it should work as intended anyway.
The date codes on both levers is 272 9 = September 29, 1969
Makes sense with my October 6th SPD

Paharamia,
Not saying right or wrong buy my 70 R/T (A34 car) matches what you have and I pulled my pics from before the restoration and it also matches.

 

[340challconvert]

It looks like the 11" rear drum brakes received the longer strut bar. Kind of makes sense.

 

[704406]

Just looked in my parts book 2409823 is the correct number for 1970 with 10" brakes. Both sides take the same strut.
1970 with 11" brakes, strut part numbers are 2533892 and 2533893
1971 10" or 11" take the same strut, part numbers 3580750 and 3580751
I have a spare dana with 10" brakes and less than 1000 miles on it, I'll pull a drum tomorrow and check to see what it has.

 

[340challconvert]

Just looked in my parts book 2409823 is the correct number for 1970 with 10" brakes. Both sides take the same strut.
1970 with 11" brakes, strut part numbers are 2533892 and 2533893
1971 10" or 11" take the same strut, part numbers 3580750 and 3580751
I have a spare dana with 10" brakes and less than 1000 miles on it, I'll pull a drum tomorrow and check to see what it has.

Thank you 704406
Good clear explanation of parking brake strut bar applications.
Now I know the same bar (823) is correct for both left and right sides for my 10" rear drum brakes.

 

[704406]

I pulled the drums off my spare rear axle, (10") the struts are identical to your first photos, paharamia so that confirms what the parts book says is correct.