1935 wires on early A (AR) question

2

28downunder

New member
Hi I have a very early 1928 Model A roadster which has the parking brake in the subrail and I am wishing to fit some 1935 16" wheels. I understand that this is not possible due to differences in the hub/drum design.

Im just wondering is it possible to swap hubs and drums over with some later ones or are the backing plates different as well?
Regards
 
28downunder said:
Hi I have a very early 1928 Model A roadster which has the parking brake in the subrail and I am wishing to fit some 1935 16" wheels. I understand that this is not possible due to differences in the hub/drum design.
Your correct..

Im just wondering is it possible to swap hubs and drums over with some later ones or are the backing plates different as well?
Regards
Click to expand...

Well,...yes the rear backing plates are different,..but you can swap
the drums / hubs,...all the parts will work. If I recall correctly, I think
you need some kind of "spacer rings",...you do some home work on
that..

btw,... try the "search" at the top of the main page for the spacer
ring.
 
I have a similar Roadster, body number F115 with the handbrake in the same place. When I got it someone had fitted 16" wheels over the AR drums on the front wheels. The rear brakes had been changed to 12" V8 so the 16" wheels fitted fine. I learnt from this Forum that AR hubs are different, and later wheels inc 16" should not be fitted to them. In attempting to fit new drums I found that I also had to change the hubs as the new drums were not compatible with the AR hubs. The backing plates did not require replacing although I had to remove some spacers fitted over the backing plate mounting bolts which also had to be shortened to avoid rubbing on the drums. I'm not sure why these spacers were used - maybe because the bolts they used were too long and they were not prepared to shorten them? I fitted Flathead Ted's floaters and have better brakes on this car than on my Town sedan. What is the body number of your car? They both would have come from Canada I expect.

Cheers,
Gavin
 
Charlie Stephens said:
I can't find anything under 5599-8. Could you please check the part number.

Charlie Stephens
Click to expand...

Charlie;........it's correct!

""
Quote:
Originally Posted by d.j. moordigian
While replying the first time it bothered me that I couldn't find the spacers, I looked
in Brattons and Snyders catalogs. I did find it know in Sacramento Vintage Ford..
................the part number is.... #5199-8.....
https://www.google.com/search?q=sacr...utf-8&oe=utf-8

Read up too make sure it works for the "A"..........
""
 
d.j. and Bob,

Thanks. Before seeing your posts I called Sacramento Vintage Ford and found it. There is a "Global" search function that I missed. I was just going by vehicle type and nothing shows up. The part number I showed in my post was a typo but I was looking under the right number. The spacer is intended to run wire wheels on later backing plates, I am not sure if it will help with an "AR" drum (never got into them).

Charlie Stephens
 
Thanks for the replies gents, Gavin answered my question, I have sourced some later model A front hubs and drums to swap over so I can run V8 wires. Still looking for a set of rears. My car does not have a body number as I bought it as a rolling chassis and fitted another roadster body to it.
 
Are you going to keep the early lousy brake system, or seeing you are fitting rear hubs/drums with the safe separate handbrake, maybe you should look into fitting the gearbox top mounted handbrake and the separate handbrake cross shaft and the extra set of rods to rear .

Much safer.
 
pooch said:
Are you going to keep the early lousy brake system, or seeing you are fitting rear hubs/drums with the safe separate handbrake, maybe you should look into fitting the gearbox top mounted handbrake and the separate handbrake cross shaft and the extra set of rods to rear .

Much safer.
Click to expand...

Pooch, I intend to do a total brake upgrade over winter including 34 V8 mechanical drums up front, separate handbrake at the rear. This is just to get me by for the next couple of months. Thanks for your advise
 
I once lost all brakes when the drums expanded, and with no handbrake, was along for the ride .

Was downhill, went to 2nd gear and turned the engine off, car still continued on.

Lucky it was rural and no one about.

Finally rounded a corner where road leveled out.

I did not drive that car much again after that experience.

Never again will I buy an AR.
 
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