
BRAKES 5-27
CHEVELLE
, CHEVY II AND CAMARO SHOWN
1.
Caliper Belts
2.
Bleeder Valve
3. Caliper Half
4.
Piston Spring
Fig.
39-Caliper Assembly-Exploded View
5. Seal
6. Piston
7. Piston Boot
8. Brake Shoes
9. "O" Ri
10.
Caliper
11.
Retaining Pin
12.
Cotter Pin
caliper. Two retaining pins must be removed on
heavy duty Corvette front calipers. Identify the
inboard and outboard shoe if they are to be reused.
5. Remove the end of brake hose at bracket by re-
moving U-shaped retainer from the hose fitting and
withdrawing the hose from bracket.
6. Remove the caliper assembly from the mounting
bracket by removing two hex head bolts.
Disassembly (Fig. 39)
1.
Clean exterior of caliper with Declene, or equivalent.
On Chevrolet and Corvette front caliper, remove
brake hose.
2.
Separate the caliper halves by removing the two
large hex head bolts. Remove the two small "O"
rings from the cavities around the fluid transfer
holes in the two ends of the caliper halves.
3.
To free the piston boots so that the pistons may be
removed, push the piston down into the caliper
as far as it will go. Insert a screwdriver blade
under the inner edge of the steel ring in the boot,
and using the piston as a fulcrum, pry the boot from
its seat in the caliper
half.
CAUTION: Use care not to puncture seal when
removing pistons from caliper. ' ~
4.
Remove the pistons and piston springs from the
caliper
half.
Remove the boot and seal from their
grooves in the piston.
Cleaning and Inspection
1.
Clean all metal parts using Declene, or equivalent.
Remove all traces of dirt and grease. Do not use
mineral base solvents to clean brake parts.
2.
Using an air hose, blow out all fluid passages in the
caliper halves, making sure that there is no dirt
or foreign material blocking any of these passages.
3.
Discard all rubber parts. Boots, seals, and "O"
rings should be replaced with new service kit parts.
4.
Carefully inspect the piston bores in the caliper
halves. They must be free of scores and pits. A
scored or otherwise damaged bore will cause leaks
and unsatisfactory brake operation. Replace the
caliper half if either bore is damaged to the extent
that polishing with very fine crocus cloth will not
restore it.
CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

BRAKES 5-28
Fig.
40—Installing Piston in Caliper Bore Using
Tool J-22591
Fig.
41—Installing Boot Seal in Caliper Bore
Using Tool J-22592
5.
Check the fit of the piston in the bore using a feeler
gage.
Clearance should be as follows:
2 1/16 inch Bore .0045 to .010
1 7/8 inch Bore .0045 to .010
1 3/8 inch Bore .0035 to .009
If the bore is not damaged, and the clearance exceeds
either of the upper limits, a new piston will be required.
Assembly
1.
Assemble the seal in the groove in the piston which
is closest to the flat end of the piston. The lip on
the seal must face toward the large end of the
piston. Be sure lips are in the piston groove and do
not extend over the step in the end of the groove.
2.
Place the spring in the bottom of the piston bore.
3.
Lubricate the seal with dean brake fluid.
4.
Install the piston assembly in the bore using appli-
cable piston rign compressor Tool J-22639, 22629
or 22591 as shown in Figure 40. Use care not to
damage the seal lip as piston is pressed past the
edge of the bore. .
5.
Assemble the boot in the groove of the piston closest
to the concave end of the piston. The fold in the boot
must face toward the end of the piston with the seal
on it.
6. Depress the pistons and check that they slide
smoothly into the bore until the end of the piston is
flush with the end of the bore. If not, re check piston
assembly and location of the piston spring and the
seal.
7.
Position applicable boot seal installer Tool J-22592,
J-22628, or J-22638 over the piston and seat the
steel boot retaining ring evenly in the counterbore
as shown in Figure 41. The boot retaining ring must
be flush or below the machined face of the caliper.
Any distortion or uneven seating could allow con-
taminating and corrosive elements to enter the bore.
8. Position the t:O}> rings in the small cavities around
the brake fluid transfer holes in both ends of the
outboard caliper halves. Lubricate the hex head
. bolts with Delco Brake Lube or clip in clean brake
fluid. Fit caliper halves together and secure with
bolts.
Refer to torque specifications in rear of
manual for correct torque valves.
Installation
1.
Carefully mount the assembled caliper over the edge
of the disc. Use a putty knife to depress pistons so
that the caliper can be lowered into position on the
disc (fig. 42). Use care to prevent damage to boots
• on the edge of the disc as the caliper is mounted.
2.
Secure the caliper to the mounting bracket with two
hex head bolts. Refer to torque specifications in
rear of manual for correct torque values.
CAUTION: If replacing old shoe assemblies,
be sure to get the shoes in the same position
from which they were removed. New shoe as-
semblies have an arrow printed on the back,
showing the direction of forward disc rotation.
3.
Install the shoe and lining assemblies as outlined in
this section.
4.
On Chevrolet and Corvette front calipers, place a
new copper gasket on the male end of the front
wheel brake hose. On all models, install brake hose
in the calipers. With the wheels straight ahead,
pass the female end of the brake hose through the
support bracket.
5.
Make sure the tube seat is clean and connect the
break line tube nut to the caliper. Tighten securely.
6. Allowing the hose to seek a normal position, without
twist, insert hex of the hose fitting into the 12-point
hole in the support bracket and secure it in place
with the "V"-shaped retainer. Turn the steering
geometry from lock to lock while observing the hose.
CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

BRAKES 5-29
Fig.
42—Installing Caliper on Disc
Check that the hose does not touch other parts at
any time during suspension or geometry travel.
If contact does occur, remove the U-shaped retainer
and rotate the end of the hose in the support bracket
one or two points in a direction which will eliminate
hose contact. Reinstall the retainer and recheck
for hose contact. If it is satisfactory, place the
steel tube connector in the hose fitting and tighten
securely.
If rear brake caliper is being serviced, connect
brake line to caliper.
Bleed brakes as outlined in this section.
Install wheels and lower vehicle.
BRAKE DISC
Servicing of the disc brakes is extremely critical
due to tolerances required in machining of the brake
disc to insure proper brake operation. In manufacturing
the brake disc, tolerances of the rubbing surfaces for
flatness is .001 and for parallelism is .0005, while
lateral runout of the faces must not exceed .004 total.
The maintenance of these close controls of the shape of
the rubbing surfaces is necessary to prevent brake
roughness. In addition, the surface finish must be non-
directional and maintained at 30-50 micro-inches. This
control of the rubbing surface finish is necessary to
avoid pulls and erratic performance and promote long
lining life and equal lining wear of both left and right
brakes.
tight scoring of the disc surfaces not exceeding .015
in depth, which may result from normal use, is not
detrimental to brake operation.
When the total disc thickness is less than .965 for the
1"
thick disc or 1.215 for the 1-1/4" thick disc, it should
be replaced. Disc thicknesses less than this can permit
the shoes to come out of contact with the shoe abutments
and cause malfunction.
Because performance is not impaired by surface im-
perfection not exceeding .015 deep, refinishing of the
rubbing surface is not necessary.
Fig.
43—Dial Indicating Disc Runout
Since extremely accurate control of the finishing oper-
ation is necessary for proper performance and excess
metal removal can cause malfunction, refinishing of the
rubbing surface is not recommended.
Checking Procedure (Fig. 43)
Front
Tighten the adjusting nut of the wheel bearing until all
play has been removed. It should be just loose enough
to allow the wheel to turn. Clamp a dial indicator to the
caliper so that its button contacts the disc at a point about
1 inch from the outer edge. When the disc is turned, the
indicator reading should not exceed .002 inches. If runout
exceeds this amount the hub and disc assembly should
be replaced. Due to the close tolerances involved it is
not recommended that the front discs be machined or
serviced separately.
After checking the runout, readjust, the wheel bearings
as outlined in Section 3 of this manual.
Rear—Corvette Only
Check the rear wheel bearing end play, as outlined in
Section 4 of this manual. Then dial indicate the disc face.
If lateral runout of the disc exceeds the bearing end play
by .003 inches, the disc should be refaced (not to exceed
.040 inches) or replaced.
Removal
1.
Raise vehicle and remove wheel and tire assembly.
/ 2. Remove brake caliper as outlined in this section.
3.
Drill out the five rivets attaching the disc to the hub
or spindle.
4.
Remove brake disc from vehicle.
5. Complete the removal of the five rivets from the
hub or spindle.
Installation
1.
Install the disc to the hub or spindle aligning the lug
bolts with the holes in the disc.
CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

BRAKES
5-31
POWER BRAKES
INDEX
General Description 5-31
Maintenance
and"
Adjustments 5-31
Inspection . ... 5_31
Lubrication 5-31
Bleeding Instructions . . . 5.31
Air Cleaner Service . . . , 5.31
Page
Component Replacement 5-31
Power Brake Cylinder ......* 5-31
Removal . . 5-31
Disassembly and Assembly See Overhaul Manual
Installation . . . . 5-31
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Power Brake Unit is a self-contained hydraulic
and vacuum unit, utilizing manifold vacuum and atmos-
phere pressure for its power.
This unit permits the use of a low brake pedal as well
as less pedal effort than is required with the conventional
(nonpower) hydraulic brake system. Only two external
line connections are necessary -
one
a vacuum connection
from manifold to check valve located on front shell; the
other, a hydraulic connection from the main cylinder
outlet directly into the hydraulic system. The unit is
mounted on the engine side of the fire wall and directly
connected to the brake pedal.
MAINTENANCE AND ADJUSTMENTS
INSPECTIONS
1.
Check vacuum line and vacuum line connections as
well as vacuum check valve in front shell of power
unit for possible vacuum loss.
2.
Inspect all hydraulic lines and connections at the
wheel cylinders and main cylinder for possible
hydraulic leaks.
3.
Check brake assemblies for scored drums, grease
or brake fluid on linings, worn or glazed linings,
and make necessary adjustments.
4.
Check brake fluid level in the hydraulic reser-
voirs.
The reservoirs should be filled to the levels
shown in Figure 8.
5. Check for loose mounting bolts at main cylinder and
at power section.
6. Check air cleaner filter in power piston extension
and replace filter if necessary.
7. Check brake pedal for binding and misalignment
between pedal
-and
push rod.
LUBRICATION
The power brake unit is lubricated at assembly and
needs no further lubrication other than maintaining
normal reservoir fluid level. The reservoir should be
filled as described in this section.
BLEEDING INSTRUCTIONS
The power system may be bled manually or with a
pressure bleeder as outlined in this section. Use only
GM
Supreme 11 Brake Fluid or equivalent. Do not use the
power assist while bleeding. The engine should not be
running and the vacuum reserve should be reduced to
zero by applying the brake several times before starting
the bleeding procedure.
AIR CLEANER SERVICE
Servicing of the air cleaner is recommended and the
element replaced when restriction becomes severe
enough to affect power brake response. At any other
time, if cleaning of the filter is felt necessary, it should
be shaken free of dirt or washed in soap and water and
thoroughly dried.
COMPONENT REPLACEMENT
POWER BRAKE CYLINDER
Removal
1.
Remove vacuum hose from vacuum check valve.
2.
Disconnect hydraulic lines at main cylinder.
Disconnect push rod at brake pedal assembly.
Remove nuts and lock washers securing power unit
to fire wall, and remove power unit from engine
compartment.
3.
4.
NOTE:
Chevy
to fire wall.
has a three stud attachment
Repair procedures for the power cylinder are outlined
in the Brake Section of the Overhaul Manual-for service
of the main cylinder refer to applicable portion of
"Standard Brakes" in this manual.
Installation
1.
Mount the power brake assembly in place and install
the attaching nuts and lock washers.
2.
Attach vacuum line to check valve.
3.
Secure hydraulic lines to main cylinder.
4.
Attach push rod to brake pedal assembly, and check
operation of stop light.
5. Bleed brakes as outlined in this section.
CAUTION: After replacing the unit on the vehi-
cle,
start the engine and allow vacuum to build
up before applying the brake.
CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE

STEERING
9-32
arm on frame and install mounting bolts, washers
and nuts. No washer is used on Corvette.
Install relay rod to idler arm, ^making certain seal
is on stud. Install and tighten nut.
Install cotter pin.
Refer to torque specifications at rear of manual for'
correct torque values.
Chevy II (Fig. 62}
Removal
1.
Remove cotter pin, nut and washer securing idler
arm to relay rod.
2.
Remove relay rod from idler arm.
3.
If equipped with power steering disconnect power
cylinder shaft from idler arm bracket.
4.
Remove three idler bracket to frame bolts and nuts
and remove bracket and idler arm assembly.
5.
Remove cotter pin, nut, washer and bolt securing the
idler arm to the bracket.
6. Press out the idler arm bushing for replacement.
Installation
NOTE: Installation must be done with front
wheels straight ahead or the car will lead to one
side.
1.
Install idler arm bushing, if previously removed.
NOTE: Make certain the outer sleeve of the
bushing does not protrude above surface of idler
arm.
2.
Reverse removal procedure and torque all nuts ac-
cording to specifications.
PITMAN ARM
Removal
1.
Remove cotter pin from pitman arm ball stud and
remove nut.
2.
Remove relay rod from pitman arm by tapping on
side of rod or arm in which the stud mounts with a
hammer while using a heavy hammer or similar tool
as a backing. Pull down on relay rod to remove
from stud.
3.
Remove pitman arm nut from sector shaft and mark
relation of arm position to shaft.
4.
Remove pitman arm with Tool J-6632 as shown in
Figure 2.
Installation
1.
Install pitman arm on sector shaft, lining up the
• marks made upon removal.
2.
Install sector shaft nut.
3.
Position relay rod on to pitman arm. Install nut.
Continue to tighten arm enough to align castellation
with hole in stud and install cotter pin.
STEERING ARM
If, through collision or other damage, it becomes nec-
essary to remove and replace either steering arm, pro-
ceed as follows:
Removal
1.
Remove tie rod from steering arm as outlined in this
section.
2.
Remove front wheel, hub and brake drum as a unit
by removing hub cap and dust cap, cotter pin from
spindle nut and the spindle nut. Pull assembly to-
ward outside of vehicle. If removal is difficult, it
may be necessary to back off brake adjustment to
increase brake shoe-to-drum clearance; see Hy-
draulic Brake Adjustment, Section 5. On models
with disc brakes, remove caliper and disc.
3.
With wheel and drum assembly or caliper and disc
removed, steering arm retaining bolt heads are ac-
cessible and removal of steering arm from vehicle
may be accomplished by removing retaining nuts.
Installation
1.
Place steering arm in position on vehicle and install
retaining bolts*
2.
Install nuts. Use only the special locknut listed for
this use in the Chevrolet Parts Catalog.
3.
Pack wheel bearings using a high quality wheel
bearing lubricant. Install bearings and wheel-hub-
brake drum assembly removed previously. On disc
brake models, install disc and caliper.
4.
Install keyed washer and spindle nut. Proceed as out-
lined under t{ Front Wheel Bearing Adjustment" in
Section 3.
5.
Install tie rod ball stud in steering arm. Be sure that
the dust cover is in place on ball stud.
6. Install castellated nut on ball stud, tighten securely
and install cotter pin.
7.
Following directions given in Section 3 to check cor-
nering wheel relationship and toe-in; correct as
required.
STEERING DAMPER-CORVETTE
Removal
1.
Remove bolt from damper pivot bracket at relay rod.
2.
Remove nut from damper pivot at frame bracket and
withdraw damper assembly.
Damper is serviced as a unit. Replace damper if
3.
damaged or excessively worn.
Installation
1.
Place piston rod end into frame bracket and install
retainers, bushings, and nut.
2.
Insert cylinder end pivot into relay rod bracket and
install through bolt.
CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

WHEELS AND TIRES 10-2
either case, tires will revolve with a side motion and
scrape the tread rubber off. If misalignment is severe,
the rubber will be scraped off of both tires (or all four
tires if front toe is not correct); if slight, only one will
be affected.
The scraping action against the face of the tire causes
a small feather edge of rubber to appear on
one .side
of
the tread and this feather edge is certain indication of
misalignment (fig. 1). The remedy is. readjusting toe-in
within specifications, or rechecking the entire front end
alignment if necessary.
Heei and Toe
This is a saw-toothed effect where one end of each
tread block is worn more than the other.
The end that wears is the one that first grips the road
when the brakes are applied.
Heel and toe wear is less noticeable onsrear tires than
on front tires, because the propelling action of the rear
wheels creates a force which tends to wear the opposite
end of the tread blocks. The two forces, propelling and
braking, make for more even wear of the rear tires,
whereas only the braking forces act on the front wheels,
and the saw-tooth effect is more noticeable.
A' certain amount of heel and toe wear is normal.
Excessive wear is usually due to high speed driving and
excessive use of brakes. The best remedy, in addition
UNDERINFLATION WEAR
Fig.
1 - Toe In or Toe Out Misalignment Wear
Fig.
2 - Over and Under Inflation Wear
CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

WHEELS AND TIRES 10-3
Fig.
3 - Spof Wear
to cautioning the owner of his driving habits, is to inter-
change tires regularly.
Side
This may be caused by incorrect wheel camber, under-
inflation, high cambered roads or taking corners at too
high a rate of speed.
The first two causes are the most common. Camber
wear can be readily identified because it occurs only on
one side of the treads, whereas underinflation causes
wear on both sides (fig. 2).
There is, of course, no correction for high cambered
roads.
Cornering wear is discussed further on.
Center
This is caused primarily by overinflation pf the tire
(fig. 2). Invisible fabric damage can also be caused by
overinflation.
Uneven
Uneven or spotty wear (fig. 3) is due to such irregu-
larities as unequal caster or camber, bent front or rear
suspension parts, out-of-balance wheels, brake drums
Fig.
4 - Cornering Wear
out-of-round, brakes out-of-adjustment, or other me-
chanical conditions. The remedy in each case consists
of locating the mechanical defect and correcting it.
Cornering
Since the introduction of independent spring front and
rear wheels, improvements in spring suspension have
enabled drivers to negotiate curves at higher rates of
speed with the same feeling of security that they had
with the older cars at lower speeds. Consequently,
curves are being taken at higher speeds with the result
that a type of tire wear called "Cornering Wear" (fig. 4),
frequently appears.
When a car makes an extremely fast turn, the weight
is shifted from a normal loading on all four wheels to an
abnormal load on the tires on the outside of the curve
and a very light load on the inside tires due to centrifugal
force. This unequal loading may have two unfavorable
results.
First, the rear tire on the inside of the curve may be
relieved of so much load that it is no longer geared to
CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL

WHEELS AND TIRES 10-5
WHEELS
The wheel and tire assembly should be removed from
vehicles equipped with disc brakes to properly perform
balancing operations. This is necessary due to drag of
the spring loaded brake shoes on the disc.
Static Balancing (W/Tire)
Static Balance (still balance) is the equal distribution
of weight of the wheel and tire assembly about the axis
of rotation so that the assembly has no tendency to rotate
by
itself.
Static unbalance causes the pounding action of
the front wheels that is called "tramp".
To correct static unbalance (front and rear): The
quickest and best methods to correct static unbalance
are through the use of wheel balancers which are com-
mercially available. Refer to the Information and in-
structions included with these balaricers.
Dynamic Balancing (W/Tire)
Dynamic Balance (running balance) requires the wheel
to be not only in static balance, but balanced and running
smoothly while turning on an axis which runs through the
centerline of the wheel and tire perpendicular to the axis
of rotation.
The quickest and best methods of testing and correcting
dynamic unbalance are by the use of dynamic wheel
balancers which are commercially available. These bal-
ancers include all necessary information on where and
how the balancing weights should be placed. The follow-
ing information, however, will help in the correction of
dynamic balance.
NOTE:
Before attempting to balance the
wheels, check to be certain that no foreign
matter has been trapped in the wheel ventila-
tion slots or in the accessory wheel discs. This
is especially important if the vehicle has been
run in soft mud and then parked in freezing
weather.
When a wheel that is statically unbalanced is dynam-
ically in balance the dynamic balance can be retained
while correcting "the static balance by installing the cor-
rective weights so that half of the weight required is
placed on the inner edge of the rim and the other half
on the outer edge of the rim.
Dynamic unbalance can be corrected without destroying
static balance by installing weights so half of weight
required for dynamic balance is placed on the rim op-
posite the heavy point, while the other half is placed 180°
away and on the opposite side of the rim.
NOTE:
Vehicles with wire wheel covers should
have the wheels balanced with the wire wheel
covers installed on the wheels.
Run Out (W/OTire)
The wheels should not run out (wobble) more than
1/16" as measured on the side of the rim at the base
of the tire. Excessive run-out is the result of a bent
wheel, an improperly mounted wheel, worn knuckle bear-
ings or steering connections. These parts should be
checked for correct adjustment, proper alignment and
wear whenever excessive run-out is encountered.
The wheels should also run concentric with the steering
knuckle spindle within 1/16 inch as measured on the tire
bead seat of the rim with the tire removed.
Wheel run-out, eccentricity and balance are closely
associated with steering and front wheel alignment.
Further information on these subjects will be found under
"Suspension".
Cleaning Aluminum Wheels
Do not use wire brush or abrasive cleaners when
cleaning wheels. Use only cleaners that will not react
with aluminum.
SERVICE OPERATIONS
TIRES
Removal
Dismounting tubeless tires presents no problems if the
correct procedures are used and the following precau-
tions observed.
1.
Remove the valve cap and valve core. Let out all the
air.
2.
Press the inner side of the tire into the rim well.
Use bead loosening tool or if regular tire irons are
used, take particular care not to injure or tear the
sealing ribs on the bead.
CAUTION: Never use tire irons with sharp
edges or corners.
3.
Using tire irons on the opposite side, remove bead,
taking small "bites" around the rim.
4.
Turn the tire over, and use two tire irons, one be-
tween the rim flange and the bead to pry the rim
upward, the other iron to pry outward between the
bead seat and the bead.
Installation
Extreme care must be exercised to prevent injury to
the sealing bead and circumferential bead when forcing
tire over rim.
1.
Apply a light film of Ruglyde or other suitable rubber
lubricant to sealing bead of tire.
NOTE:
The use of excessive lubrication may
lead to rim slippage and subsequent breaking of
air seal.
2.
Carefully mount the outer bead in usual manner by
using tire irons, taking small "bites" around rim,
being careful not to injure the tire bead.
CAUTION: DO NOT use a hammer, as damage
to the bead will result.
3.
Install the inner bead in the same manner.
NOTE:
If a seal cannot be effected in the fore-
going manner with the rush of air it can be
, accomplished by applying to the circumference
of the tire a tire mounting band or heavy sash
cord and tightening with the use of a tire iron.
On tire mounting machines, bouncing the tire
assembly is not required. The tire should be
CHEVROLET CHASSIS SERVICE MANUAL