rear brakes

i have 67 axles and drums with 61 backing plates. i have 61 shoes and i feel like they arnt large enough. should i get 67 shoes?

and also i feel like the e brake arm isnt moving enough.
its been a while sine i took it apart so i cant remember how it goes back together

i just got super frustrated then it started to rain so i just quit.

any help?

I'm pretty sure 61 and 67 rear shoes are the same width (30mm). The changed that happened in 65 was that the slot in the wheel cylinders that the brakes shoes fit in became angled. So the 65 and up shoes have a slightly different profile at the top and bottom edges and you have to have the wheel cylinders turned correctly for the shoes to seat all the way.

I have 61 wheel cylinders. I know the arm the cable hooks to is toward the rear of the car but is it supposed to be on the front or rear of the shoe. On the back it bearly moves. And on the front it moves more but hits the bearing cap. Is that right?

Should look like this. This would be the passenger side wheel.


Also, I don't think (not 100% sure) you can use wider brakes from a later year (or type 3) with the older 61 style backing plate.  The reason is that the lower star adjusters are fixed to the backing plate and their distance from the backing plate can not be moved, so a wider shoe won't have enough clearance against the backing plate.

Oh, and those e-brake arms have a bend in them and are side specific.

I only have one so I guess ill have to figure out what side I have. Thanks eric I think I had it right but, I seconded guessed myself. so the e brake arm dosnt move that much? Does it?

No, it doesn't move too much at all. All the arm does is pivot the tops of the brake shoes against the drum, so if your brakes are adjusted correctly, it doesn't take much movement at all to lock the e-brakes up.

Ok yea I had it right I thought it had to move more lol. Thanks