Help: Finding brake springs for 57 Chevy Dump truck

[SeisMec]

All the details I currently know. Will update with pictures later in the day.

Springs needed for the rear of a
1957 Chevrolet 6400 dump truck
19,000 GVWR
4 Speed MT
Vacuum operated dual speed rear axle - Oval pumpkin cover.
15" diameter brake hubs.
Brake shoes are 4" wide - mounted upper and lower - two wheel cylinders on each hub - 4 springs (2 per shoe) - one end of each spring hooks through brake shoe and the other end hooks over a pin near a wheel cylinder.

 

[SeisMec]

Any suggestions about where to look next will be appreciated.

The needed springs:

Five of the eight required springs are in two pieces. The other three are stretched.
The spring in the upper part of the picture goes to the top pin at the front cyl.
The lower goes to the top pin at the rear cylinder.
The hook arm that goes to the pin (near 5" on the tape measure) is about 1/4" longer on the upper spring - though it's not particularly obvious in the picture.
As measured with HF's cheapest digital caliper, the spring wire diameter is 0.069 in.

Have been to two local chevy dealers, two large truck repair places and near a dozen local part shops including NAPA and Carquest.

Pictures below are essentially for context.

Left rear - hub removed - front wh. cyl visible - rear wh. cyl hidden by flange

Upper rear spring hooked on pin at rear wheel cyl.

Upper front spring hooked through web of shoe

Upper front spring hooked on pin at front wheel cyl.

 

[SeisMec]

Wrong picture was used in previous post. Editing generated a new post - I deleted all the duplicate material.

Upper front spring hooked through web of shoe

 

[tomwmn]

Try stovebolt.com the “Big Bolt” forum. Good luck!

 

[SeisMec]

Try stovebolt.com the “Big Bolt” forum. Good luck!

Thanks! That looks promising. Have registered and am awaiting final account approval.

 

[toplessHO]

have you contacted someone like wagner directly?
sometimes they have new old stock but dont list because theres so little of it.
I ve got some old wagner and other brake parts books,but it will be a while before I can get to them in storage

 

[SeisMec]

have you contacted someone like wagner directly?
sometimes they have new old stock but dont list because theres so little of it.
I ve got some old wagner and other brake parts books,but it will be a while before I can get to them in storage

No, I haven't. Will give it a shot tomorrow. If you can come up with parts number(s) from those books, I'd certainly appreciate it. None of the places tried thus far had books that went back that far.

 

[bob15]

If you can get part numbers, e-bay is a great option for parts. Even "ancient and obscure" stuff like those springs.

Something like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/56-66-Chevy-60-80-Truck-Rear-Brake-Shoe-Spring-NOS/371557732000?fits=Model%3ATruck%7CMake%3AChevrolet&hash=item5682910ea0:gRUAAMXQcVNQ74qa

 

[bob15]

Or maybe this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-GM-Chevrolet-1956-1974-Chevy-Truck-Brake-Shoe-Spring-2331972/333663434641?epid=656410725&hash=item4dafe3f791:g:AasAAOSwpBJfcyx0

 

[Wrench97]

15x4 GM corp brakes, I believe they ran that setup up on gas engines to about 1974 I've seen them and changed them but it was a long, long time ago most of those late 60's early 70's heavy gas trucks went obsolete quickly when the gas prices hit the fan in 73/74.
Maybe in a farm area they survived longer.

 

[Truckdoctorandy]

Find a place that sells truck parts like Truckpro or Fleetpride. Ask if they deal with Euclid brake parts, Euclid will have a listing in their hydraulic brake parts catalog.

 

[SeisMec]

If you can get part numbers, e-bay is a great option for parts. Even "ancient and obscure" stuff like those springs.

Unfortunately, I don't yet have any part numbers.

Both links you provided are visibly not the springs I need.

Thanks for the thought though.

 

[SeisMec]

15x4 GM corp brakes, I believe they ran that setup up on gas engines to about 1974 I've seen them and changed them but it was a long, long time ago most of those late 60's early 70's heavy gas trucks went obsolete quickly when the gas prices hit the fan in 73/74.
Maybe in a farm area they survived longer.

I probably changed out shoes on something similar in the mid-70s, but mostly worked on cars and light trucks back then.

 

[SeisMec]

Find a place that sells truck parts like Truckpro or Fleetpride. Ask if they deal with Euclid brake parts, Euclid will have a listing in their hydraulic brake parts catalog.

Euclid has their catalog online. The chevy 15x4 section with diagrams only shows self adjusting set-ups. This truck's brakes are non-self adjusting. (Think that's probably true of most 1950's trucks). I'm virtually certain this is going to come down to trying to find NOS or used parts.

Thanks for the thought.