brake adjusting wrench

M

Mel Larsen

Member
I looked through all my sockets and wrenches for what would fit the brake adjustment shaft. I don't want to damage the shaft by using a loose fitting tool. I was trying to find a socket in my collection that fit ok. I think I want a 7/16 8 point socket but not sure. What do you use? I have the 29 A Sport Coupe.
 
I have a couple of wrenches and sockets that fit the brake adjustment shaft but I use my Knipex plier wrench most often. It fits most everything under the car!!

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Maybe I'm just weird but I've always used a 7/16" open-end wrench and it works just fine. I guess it's a little awkward, but I don't mess with them often, and the fronts are Ted's floater kit, which makes it a lot easier.
 
If you look on eBay for "Ford brake wrench" you will find all kinds of vintage brake adjuster wrenches. Make sure they are 7/16" 8-point wrenches so they will fit a four-sided adjuster. I have a bunch of brake wrenches for early Fords that I inherited from my grandfather and my dad, on two different sides of the family so it must have been really common to adjust your own vintage Ford brakes. I'm not sure how much of an offset or if any offset is needed for a Model A, and I have a Model A??? I bought it, had a stroke and have never been under it yet. I stepped on the brakes about three time taking it off of the trailer and into the garage, that's my brake experience with Model A's. I was ASE Master light and heavy Mechanic which included a light brake license and a heavy air brake license. There wasn't a single Model A question on the tests, imagine that. My dad restored Model A's when I was young, and I never paid attention to any of it. I was an early Mustang guy, at least I stayed with Ford.

Here's me with mom and dad and there '31 roadster behind them. I'm guessing about 1963. That was his daily driver. He restored a lot of Model A's in the 60s and 70s including this '29 station wagon. Every nut was a thick-headed Ford original. He did his own paint work on the clothesline. Then he switched to Flathead V8 cars. I still have his '32 roadster and about a dozen of my own Ford "projects".
 

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Mel Larsen said:
I refuse to pay Snyder's over priced prices. I will spend a whole day making my own first.
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Mel Larsen said:
$15 for the wrench and $15 to ship it! I just bought a 8 point 7/16 socket from Amazon for $9 shipped free.
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These comments are absolutely absurd!!! :rolleyes: IMHO and from my observations of being in this hobby for many decades, this hobby has suffered in the past couple of decades or so because of this mindset. Hobbyists seeming have lost their respect for their vehicles, the good people that serve this hobby, -and for the hobby itself.


Furthermore, possessing a 7/16 8-point socket does not allow you to adjust the brakes as you did not also purchase something to rotate this new socket. The Snyders' wrench does not require the purchase of any other tools to make it function. (It likely should be pointed out that properly adjusting the Adjusting Wedge requires being able to locate the center of the detents so the Adjusting Shaft can be seated. This is done by quickly rocking the adjusting tool in opposite directions. Using a ratchet on a socket is difficult at best to get it right and also time consuming. ;) )

Secondly, making your own out of 'what'? Everything you would use to fabricate a wrench equal to what the Snyders' tool is will have a value and a cost of obtaining it attached. This wrench is made available for the Hobbyist that likely does not have a welder, a drill, a file, or the materials to fabricate one out of. In my case, I have a full machine shop, a CNC plasma table, and the materials needed to fabricate these ....however at $14.50 I cannot justify the time & materials expenses to fabricate them in-house when they are available at $14.50. That definitely shows the wrench itself is not overpriced. Additionally, the cost of shipping this wrench to your doorstep might seem overpriced to you, but you can be assured you won't be able to drive from the NW to Ohio to transport it yourself cheaper than what they will be charging to ship it. So in reality, is their shipping charges really "over-priced"?? :confused::confused:
 
If you do use the Snyder tool, it helps to slip a length of pipe over its shank to increase leverage. Sometimes those adjusting wedges can be a bear to turn. I like the Snyder's tool, but its shank could have been made longer.
Brent brings up a good point about adjusting the wedges. Always rock the tool back and forth a little to ensure the wedge ridges are not stopping on a high spot. That will push the shoe out farther and give you a false setting. You can actually feel the brake shoe adjuster tip slip into the wedge's "valley". Then you know that the neutral spot has been found.
Marshall
 
I live exactly 100 miles from my front door to Snyders. I don't mind paying for shipping even though I'm close. There's the price of gas, the turnpike toll, and if my wife rides along I have to buy her lunch. It's a pleasant day but UPS can do it cheaper.
Marty
 
I found a Ford "handy hex" double box end wrench on ebay. 7/16" X 8 pt. on one end, 1/2" X 8 pt. on the other. It is 12" long too...works perfectly on both the brake wedge and the timing pin.

Cost me $12 plus $9.45 shipping. Worth every penny. Much more comfortable than wrench made out of flat stock. Of course, if I ever find an original...I'll have two!
 
Wow ,I didn't think mentioning a fair priced tool from Snyders would stir up people so much .Mikes sells them for the same price but was out of stock.I see the vendor's seem to have a harder time to get certain parts more now than say 10 years ago and prices have went way up in the last few years.Good tools are not cheap and $15 for a well made special tool is not bad.Shipping has gone way up as well.
 
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