Adding a grease fitting to emergency brake control arms

Ken B

Ken B

Senior Member
Some time ago I saw a thread about drilling out the emergency brake control arms to add a grease fitting. I tried to search for it but couldn't find it. Does anyone else remember this thread? It sounds like a good idea.
 
It's simple, drill and tap the brass bushing then screw in one of the longer zerk fittings. Wash the drilling out. Next drill a hole in the lower support a little bigger then the outside of the zerk fitting on the bottom of the loop. Of course you want to have it all centered. You can point the zerk ahead, straight down or to the rear depending one where you drill the hole in the support. Assemble and shoot with your favorite grease.
 
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The article was in the May/June Restorer and it was for the service brake cross shaft. Ken is
asking about the emergency brake shaft.

Bob
 
Me Bad! Oh well now you know how to do the service brake cross shaft.
Not everyone here get the club mag's.
 
or if you are so inclined, the suppliers sell new e-brake shaft/arms that are predrilled for a zerc. You can grease (sparingly) the shaft from the end of the shaft. I've used these on my cars and they work well.
If you have ever tried to get a brake arm shaft out of an old dried and rusted e-brake carrier, you appreciate the fact that without grease, they will freeze up.
 
mrraford said:
If you have ever tried to get a brake arm shaft out of an old dried and rusted e-brake carrier, you appreciate the fact that without grease, they will freeze up.
Click to expand...

Actually I've never seen a rusty one. Must be a "snow country" thing, then sitting unused for decades. The emergency brake receives such little "action" that lubing things during assembly should last for many years.
 
It is an easy task to install grease fittings in the emergency brake toggle shafts. I have installed a number of them, and I certainly recommend it. Put the shaft vertical in a drill vice with the inboard end up and with a 1\8" drill bit drill down through the center until you are about half way between where the two bushings ride. Drill another 1\8" hole on the side of the shaft between the two busings to intersect with the first drilled hole.

You then need to drill the first hole out about a quarter inch down to fit the press in grease fitting. I am sorry I cannot tell you what size drill bit that is because I can't remember. Measure the diameter of the press in grease fitting. I think it may be 1\4".

You can order the press in grease fittings from Bratton's, part number 36740, $1.65 each. You will need two. Also order the tool to tap them into place, part number 36810, $2.90.

I have always wondered why Henry never put grease fittings there. He probably figured there would be nobody concened about it 80 years later. With the infrequent use of the emergency brake the initial grease put there at assembly was probably sufficient for the next five years.

Quite often I come across emergency brake carriers where the swage for the tunnel for the emergency brake toggle shaft has broken loose. This is caused by someone trying to hammer out a frozen emergency brake toggle shaft.

Give it a shot of grease about every five years.

Tom Endy
 
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