? about 3 shoe brakes on Giulietta SS

[alfa soon]

Does anyone know if ALL Giulietta SS's came with 3 shoe brakes up front? Perhaps did the early ones come with 2 shoe, and if so, about when did they change?

Thanks,

[Alleggerita]

Definitely some SS's came w/ 2-shoe but I don't know the cut-off date.

[mdivasc]

My '61 Giulietta SS has two brake shoes on the front.

I believe the last of the giuliettas had 3 right before the discs were put on the Giulias.

and no you can't have my 00120 engine, sorry.......

[Zagato_Olaf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdivasc My '61 Giulietta SS has two brake shoes on the front. I believe the last of the giuliettas had 3 right before the discs were put on the Giulias. and no you can't have my 00120 engine, sorry.......

[alfa soon]

Is there no parts book out there that states 'such and such brake parts apply through chassis #X, after chassis number X such see such and such section'?

I have found some clues, but of a more practical nature. The SS posted above has 2 shoe brakes, presumed from original, and it is near in number to mine -less than a hundred cars older than mine.

Perhaps some Giulietta SS owners can chime in here.

Mine is car number 413.

More on this to come...

[papajam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by alfa soon Is there no parts book out there that states 'such and such brake parts apply through chassis #X,...

[alfa soon]

I just heard from the owner of 388 that his had 2 shoe from new. Papajam, looking forward to what the Partsbook has to say. I guess it's time I bought cardisc...

[2000 touring sp]

If I my put my 2 cents in.
The SS had the 3 shoe brakes until the SS Giulia series came in. There is some uncertainty about the first SS Giulias, some of the first had probably the 3 shoe brakes, and then they was changed to discs

[mulligan1]

I was at Sebring in 60 through 63 and I do not remember the exact year but was in the pits talking to the O'Brien brothers and they had a SS entered and as we were talking, an Alfa engineer (?) arrived with several mechanics and they were to instsll 3 shoe brakes on the two SS's and the SZ entered. The O'Briens objected as they felt they really needed more cc's. The factory guy had a compelling argument--"3 shoes or you don't run!". Needless to say they were installed!! I think that was the year that 3 Lotus Eletes were entered and DNFed rather early. I just don't remember which year.

[papajam]

Well, Giulietta parts book #776 dated 11/61 is clear; either the two-shoe or the three-shoe system was fitted. Unfortunately, there is no chassis number reference as to when the change occurred. However, there was a change in the two-shoe brakes as fitted to the Berlina, Spider and Sprint at specific chassis numbers.
There was nothing to be found in any Alfa issued Information Sheets either.
One might conclude from this that the two to three-shoe change on the SS may have happened around the same time as the Berlina, Spider and Sprint two-shoe system was changed. On the other hand, with no SS chassis number listed while the Berlina, Spider and Sprint are, perhaps there was no 'change' in the SS brakes at all. In other words, maybe both the two and three-shoe systems were fitted during the entire production run.
What might lend support to the no change theory is that there are numerous part number listings in the hydraulic system components that state; "for SS & SZ cars with two-shoe front brakes; for cars with three-shoe front brakes, see part number xxxxxx...".
Neither Giulietta parts manual 776 nor Giulia SS parts manual 1016 dated 10/64 show disc brakes.

[Seattle Dan]

Just a thought from a non SS expert with regards to a problem that Alfa may have faced w/regards to a specific chasis number cutover sequence from 2 to 3 pad brakes.

In my limited research, I've come across the comment on a couple of occassions that the entire batch of bodies for the SS's were built at once and then basically pulled from stock on a routine basis to complete for sale. If this is true, then it stands that there may have been some unintentional "re-sequencing" of body numbers as they were pulled from stock and put out to floor for final assembly. This certainly seems to be the case with their engines.

Alfa may not have wanted to document a distinct cut-over as they may have had bodies with higher numbers finish final assembly and ship earlier than those with lower numbers. If this scenario holds water, the out of sequence was probably low (in other words a body ending in 05 switching with one ending in 15 but doubtful 50 - just on the basis of how they would have been stored) This could have a couple of consequences that Alfa may have chose to avoid by simply ignoring the issue (such as having customers bring their cars back say "mine should have 3 shoe brakes...")

As the other models mentioned are a much higher volume, the nature of their production makes it much easier to document a specific chassis cutover since the body's were essentially launched and flowed from the beginning of the production line to final assembly and out the door to a warehouse or to a customer at a regular pace.

On the other hand, maybe Alfa stamped the numbers on the body of the SS's after they were pulled from inventory and out in production in which case just ignore me....

Just my 2 cents worth.

Dan
65 Giulia SS
59 Euro 2000 Spyder

[mdivasc]

The photos of my posted car do not have any brake modifications. I purchased the SS from the owner who has had the car since 1962, and he has made no modifications to the brake system.