Well i knew all the brakes werent working on the 59 dynamic 88. i could hear the left side brakes lock but i didnt hear the passenger side. i took off the rear drum on the passenger side to find a return spring on the top is missing. Also the bar is missing that goes between the shoes right underneath the wheel cylinder. My question is what is that bar called. i am still curious how this is all gone because i didnt find any of the parts in the drum so what in the world happened. hopefully wont have too many problems finding this part. so what is it called and will i actually be able to find it at the avg parts store?

 

[QUOTE=MeanGrnGt;38271] to find a return spring on the top is missing. Also the bar is missing that goes between the shoes right underneath the wheel cylinder. My question is what is that bar called. QUOTE]

The top return spring should be included in any good brake kit. The bar you are referreing to is called a parking brake operating lever strut. Basically what that bar does is expand both brake shoes when the parking brake is applied. Maybe it was taken out if the parking brake cables were frozen?? Might have to find a parts '59 or '60 to get this part, as i dont know where to get a new one

 

What does the bar look like? If it looks like some of the later models I have seen 78-86, it may be possible to make one out of bar stock.
The one in my old Ford could easily be made this way. Home depot or Lowes would have the stock, or your neighborhood machine shop may be happy to sell you a small scrap cheaply. Heck, if it was a small mom & pop shop, they might even make it for you cheaply. Never hurts to ask.

Chances it would be a mirrored, reversed copy of the bar on the other side.

I have no experience withthe 50s and 60s cars, but hopefully this may help. Good luck!

 

i was thinking it was for the parking brake. i am not worried about it then. i will get the return spring and i also need the hold downs too because one is missing. maybe that will fix the brake problem

 

year one shows the parking brake lever it list them year 64-72 i dont know if they kept them the same in the 50ies up through the 60s or not.

 

GT, if you're gonna work on this car yourself, make your life easier and buy a 1959 Oldsmobile factory shop manual. Unlike Ford, each GM Division pretty much went its own way on a lot of things and there's not much crossover until about 1970.

You can find the parking brake strut on any 1949-64 full-size Olds, not that there are many left in the scrapyards. If you want to try finding a NOS part, grp. 5.150, p/n 553738, parking brake operating lever strut 1949-64 except F85 and Jetstar 88.

Keep in mind that in Olds-speak, F85 is the generic term for any F85/Cutlass model. Jetstar 88 used Chevrolet brakes as a cost-cutting and weight-saving measure.

 

actually i plan on picking up a service manual off ebay. it will definately be a wise investment for me. once i fix the brakes then there is just a little carb issue i need to work on and then it is all tlc from their i believe.

 

If I were you, I would find the emergency brake part you need. Your '59 is an awful big car to bring to a stop if you have a failure. I have a '58 with basically the same system. It is a single master cylinder, and if you lose a line or have any other failure, you lose all braking except the emergency brake! If your emergency brake cables are still there, they can be freed up usually with any penetrating oil. Have you checked the other rear brake? If all it's parts are there, you could copy the flat steel bar to replace the missing one. It should also have a small spring on one end of it. The part is called "parking brake strut operating lever" according to my '58 parts book, and the spring is "parking brake strut spring" #s 553738 and 502327. I just bought a full kit from Kanter.com, and it doesn't have these parts. I think you can get a new emergency brake cable from them, but not the strut lever & spring. I'm almost sure these parts were the same up to 1964. I'm going through the whole system on mine and converting to DOT 5 silicone fluid, so I won't have any water/rust problems. The parts you need probably won't be too hard to find with a little looking. I had some problems with the shoes coming loose on the rear of mine. I'm replacing all the springs and retainers, they do get weaker over time. If you brake hard, and the shoes grab a little, things can let go. Good luck!!