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I am about to embark on replacing the brake shoes as my brakes are squeeking and don't seem to be stopping as well as they used to. Adjusting did not help me enough. Any tips from you guys who have done this before?

Carefull with the shoe springs if you don't have the right tool.

Actually, you have to be careful even if you DO have the right tool. Those springs can be a real pain in the butt (or wherever else they hit you) when you're trying to put them on and they pop off and go flying! Having the right tool always makes the job easier, but it isn't foolproof.

We clamp them with vise grips & hook them, that way it they slip, you still have them clamped fast in the pliers.

Shoe to drum adjustment is extremely important, be sure you do it right or you will surely have substandard braking action. Most M37's that come through here with a complaint of poor brakes are found to be 99.5% because of improperly adjusted shoe to drum clearances. The original brake system works amazingly well if set up correctly.

Same here, Charles! A pair of vise-grips and a humongous screwdriver for added leverage gets the job done for me every time. I do have the "right" tool, but I find it a bit awkward to use at times.

MSeriesRebuild wrote:Shoe to drum adjustment is extremely important, be sure you do it right or you will surely have substandard braking action. Most M37's that come through here with a complaint of poor brakes are found to be 99.5% because of improperly adjusted shoe to drum clearances. The original brake system works amazingly well if set up correctly.

I have to completely agree with Charles here. I'm amazed the bad rap the brakes get on these trucks. Given the inherent hazards associated with this era brake system, it works very well when set up correctly. My brake system is completely rebuilt, retaining the original configuration. When I apply full pressure to the pedal I can easily lock up the rear two wheels, and in most cases additionally lock up one or both of the front wheels, on dry pavement.

The absolutly most important thing about getting a proper braking system to work on these trucks is the shoe adjustment.

My brother had a WWII WC that he just couldn't get to brake properly after installing new equipment. I don't remember the exact symptoms, but I do remember the pedal travel was really far and possibly included having to pump the brakes periodically. I checked his truck and the shoes were way out of proper clearances. Follow the shoe adjustments properly and it will make a huge improvement.

As Charles knows, these adjustments are different between newly installed shoes and used shoes; however, the same principal still applies.

Adjust your shoes properly!!!

Corey

I will add that there is also an adjustment to the brake pedal shaft that comes out of the master cylinder. I have good brakes but the pedal went too far toward the floor before I adjusted the shaft.
Gary

All I know is those brake spring pliars you buy at Sears work but just barely. Maybe if you weld some longer handles to get more leverage they'd work better I don't know but the way they are you need the strength of two men to get the springs on and off with them.

Well, All of your tips are definitely true.

Bought the spring pliers--promplty broke them because the leverage was not there.

Used the vicegrips and a long screwdriver--worked much better.

Finished putting on the shoes tonight. Gosh were they needed--the passenger side was down to metal, though driver' was not that bad.

Brakes don' squeek now, which is BIG improvement, but I am going to have to readjust, because they don't stop that well now either. So, maybe tomorrow night I will take the wheels back off and try again.

Thanks for the tips--keep 'em coming.

New fangled brake spring pliers are nowhere near the quality of the old tools. We have some that are NAPA New Britain brand, a really good set, but 30+ years old.

The handle end that is designed to put the springs back on are not for the type of spring set up used on a M37, the tool is designed to work 90* off from the M37 brake spring hooking point.

Went right at with the vise grips/screw driver - you guys weren't kidding on the spring force! It was nest to see that the hook ends are not a mere bend of the coil but a swivel piece! Man these guys really engineered these things!