Do all drum brake vehicles have a proportioner valve?

AlbertEinstone

AlbertEinstone

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Joined
Dec 12, 2019
Thunderbird Year
1963
I bought a 63 a while back that has all 4 drum brakes. It pulls to the right when I brake so I'm trying to work it out bit by bit. I went to put new brake lines on it and the shop only did one and then told me I had a bad proportioner valve. I've been researching all day and from what I can tell is proportioner valves are only for drum/disc dual setups... If somebody could set me straight I would really appreciate it.
 
My all original 63 Corvette with manual 4-wheel drum brakes has no proportioning valve...

Those were used on disc/drum hybrid system to equalize the pressure to get even braking between the two different types of brake setups... Unless the wheel cylinders were VASTLY different on the front vs rear axle, or somebody added a valve there probably shouldn't be one. https://www.freeasestudyguides.com/brake-proportioning-valve.html

If you have a shop manual it will call this out clearly. Online manuals range from $12 to $24 and are cheap insurance that you aren't being taken to the cleaners by the shop. Could they have said a "residual" valve ? That's a different beast and common on drum brake systems. They are inside the master cylinder: https://www.freeasestudyguides.com/residual-check-valve.html

Brakes pulling to the right are usually a fault on the left side, bad rubber brake hose, leak wheel cylinder or mis-adjustment.
 
Last edited:
Frankie the Fink

Thanks for taking the time to reply, you confirmed what I thought to be true. My tire shop was telling me I had a bad proportional valve but after all the research I think they just don't know what they're talking about.
 
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