Brake adjustment issues

I've known of hydraulics, both early & later types, with all matching cylinder size cylinders, arced properly, great HIGH pedal & still don't stop better than stock. Adding a small Bendix Hydro-Vac booster helps, as the main problem is NOT enough pressure to create HEAT, which is what creates FRICTION, which is what makes the danged thing STOP!
One guy used a booster from an old AMC Pacer.
They're easy to hide under the car & only require a vacuum hose to the manifold & tee into the hydraulic line, just past the master cylinder outlet.
I've used Bendix Hydro Vacs on many old Jaguars, to replace the funky old Girling boosters. I once rigged a small one on a Jaguar XKE hydraulic clutch system for a man that had a weak left leg from Polio. I had Polio in 1937, & wear braces, that's why I have to move my seats back & have to have top knotch mechanical brakes, to be SAFE! Lubing EVERY metal to metal moving brake part with Lubriplate or such & oiling EVERY clevis pin & ANY crossbar parts with a "squirt" can, also helps.
Bill W.

Yo brother,
The vacume booster makes em power brakes . I had a 57 Ford back in the 60s with a vacume can hooked up to the brakes. The brakes probably wasn't the best anyway but one day the rubber vacume hose came off. I had to shift the Fordamatic into rairverse to stop. I know it didn't help the transmixer but it worked untill I could make it home and find out what had happened.
Yer brother, Purdy.
 
Yo brother,
The vacume booster makes em power brakes . I had a 57 Ford back in the 60s with a vacume can hooked up to the brakes. The brakes probably wasn't the best anyway but one day the rubber vacume hose came off. I had to shift the Fordamatic into rairverse to stop. I know it didn't help the transmixer but it worked untill I could make it home and find out what had happened.
Yer brother, Purdy.
Purdy,
With some uf the dum assed things we've done, how did we live this LONG?
I drove clean across town in a '32 Tudor Hot Rod, with an Olds & Dual range Hydro, after I burned a hole in the brake line while jump starting it. It had NO emergency brake! I'd just keep gearing it down 'til I got to low & then give it a shot of REVERSE!:eek:
A Triumph TR-4, with keyed hood locks & MISSING the springs that pop the hood up, YEP! it wasn't LOCKED, went over a R/R crossing & that blamed hood opened up like a Krockigator, ripped off them pot metal hinges & "swooshed" over my head, like a horizontal GUILLOTINE:eek::eek::eek: I think thet wuz BEFORE they invented DEPENDS??
If it was Ford related, I'd tell you about when an upside down, 80MPH, '59 Chev. hood, almost sliced our roof off on Highway 99!
Bill W.
 
Purdy and Bill. It is indeed too bad you two guys don't live in the same town. I can I picture the 2 of you in an A every morning headed off for a coffee. The two of you compliment each other. I enjoy you both immensely ( for different reasons ). You two and a few others are the heart and soul of this site. Thank you for being an important part of my day !
Wayne


P.s. Have the 2 of you ever met in person ?
 
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Purdy,
With some uf the dum assed things we've done, how did we live this LONG?
I drove clean across town in a '32 Tudor Hot Rod, with an Olds & Dual range Hydro, after I burned a hole in the brake line while jump starting it. It had NO emergency brake! I'd just keep gearing it down 'til I got to low & then give it a shot of REVERSE!:eek:
A Triumph TR-4, with keyed hood locks & MISSING the springs that pop the hood up, YEP! it wasn't LOCKED, went over a R/R crossing & that blamed hood opened up like a Krockigator, ripped off them pot metal hinges & "swooshed" over my head, like a horizontal GUILLOTINE:eek::eek::eek: I think thet wuz BEFORE they invented DEPENDS??
If it was Ford related, I'd tell you about when an upside down, 80MPH, '59 Chev. hood, almost sliced our roof off on Highway 99!
Bill W.

Bill, We must be Lucky !!! I could tell you a few stories about hoods flying up, some times, slam off. Nobody ever got hurt and I've never had a wreck except when I road dirt bikes.
Purdy.
 
Purdy and Bill. It is indeed too bad you two guys don't live in the same town. I can I picture the 2 of you in an A every morning headed off for a coffee. The two of you compliment each other. I enjoy you both immensely ( for different reasons ). You two and a few others are the heart and soul of this site. Thank you for being an important part of my day !
Wayne

P.s. Have the 2 of you ever met in person ?

Thanks Wayne for the kind words, You make my day. Bill and I have never met But I enjoy talking back woodsey with him. We mostly know better but get a kick out of incorrect english and spelling.
 
I don't mean to "hijack" this thread but I have a question about the cast iron drums. I had two bad studs on my rear wheel and when I got the hub off the two bad/loose studs had been welded and came loose. I had to drill them to get the wheel off so they were destroyed. I called a man in Knoxville that I was referred to and he told me that the correct studs were no longer available and I should just weld in two new ones. I had already pressed five out and intended to replace all five. I decided to order the drum/hub assembly from Snyder's. It came, I painted it and tried to install it and it will not fit over the shoes. Would it be normal to have to have it turned? It was turned true when it was put together.

Thanks
James
 
I don't have any experience with Snyders drums assembled to the hubs. If they had already been turned true, they should be good to go. Check to see if the brake cam is stuck to the rear brake camshaft. The cam should be full floating in the rear cam shaft. This is a long shot but if the cam is stuck it could have the shoes off center enough to cause problems .
 
I don't have any experience with Snyders drums assembled to the hubs. If they had already been turned true, they should be good to go. Check to see if the brake cam is stuck to the rear brake camshaft. The cam should be full floating in the rear cam shaft. This is a long shot but if the cam is stuck it could have the shoes off center enough to cause problems .

Thanks, I'll check that. I thought it should be ready too. I may call Snyder's tomorrow morning and see what they say.

Thanks Again,
James
 
Measure your drums. If they are the proper diameter they will fit if your linings are installed properly and mechanicals are correct.
 
"Check to see if the brake cam is stuck to the rear brake camshaft. The cam should be full floating in the rear cam shaft"

This is a common problem, and easy to check. I often find the cam gummed up in the camshaft and the cam won't slide freely

Correct diameter of new drum is 11.00 inches, easy enough to check
 
Check the emergency brake assembly for fit. the cast iron brake drums used to need to be turned so the drum would fit over the emergency.
Bob
 
Talked with a gentleman at Snyders this morning and he tells me that the brake linings have to be fit to the new drum. Getting them uniform make me a little nervous. He reccomends using a belt sander if I don't have access to a brake lining shop.

Thanks,
James
 
Did you install new brake lining before attempting to install the new drum from Snyders ? If not, it seems to me that the slightly worn lining should cause no problem with the new drum fitting over the brake shoes. Back in the 90s I bought a set of new Plasmeter drums and we had to turn them about .030 thirty thousants. As stated the cams float in the rear brake cam shafts to assist in centering the shoes within the drum. In other words the cams can float up or down to center the shoes. You should be able to push up or down and see both shoes move upward or downward , if the cams aren't stuck and are actually floating. I've found cams rusted stuck to the rear brake cam shafts. If the drums and lining were worn in to such a condition, you could still have some brakes with one shoe but a new drum wouldn't slip on. On the other hand, if new linining was installed it is necessary to file or grind a taper on the leadind and trailing ends of the lining from end to near the large holes where the lining revits install in the shoes. I will attempt to post a picture of how the taper needs to be.

4440989-T400300.jpg
 
Everything was free and clean and moved well so I took some Emory cloth and worked the linings down. They appeared to be new. The upper lining seemed a little thicker than the lower. The old drum is apparently worn out and out of round. It is all centered up now. Everything looks good now. When I get it on the road some I'll check it again. Thanks again for the info.

James
 
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