Brake Adjustment
- Thread starter Ned1
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Synchro909
Well-known member
The faster you drive, the LESS likely you are to be able to lock up the wheels.
Terry,
I use some bonded linings to new shoes at times and in addition snyders is now handling soft molded lining. I know I complained quite a bit the last few years and others did as well as the older "woven" style lining was causing squeaking after some time on them with the new cast iron drums.
The soft molded lining is much better with the cast drums .
Give it a try with the cast irons, I think you will like them.
Larry
Synchro909
Well-known member
Our local brake and clutch place has just stopped doing the very soft brake linings. The owners have been in the business for many decades and with the falling demand for their services, they are easing their way out. Looks like I will have to stay with woven linings unless I can find someone else to reline my shoes.
30 Closed Cab PU
Well-known member
I get skidding front wheel(s) frequently when driving on rural back roads due
to pea gravel, dirt, etc at stop signs. Is probably not considered to be a true lock up as being discussed, more as a loss of friction/traction.
Al 29Tudor
Well-known member
Good morning all,
After 25 posts no one has mentioned the technique of pumping the brakes to stop the wheels from sliding on hot rubber and loos of steering.
Anti lock brakes pump the brakes for us these days in a panic stop.
In older systems we must pump the brakes to maintain control.
Al Leach
After 25 posts no one has mentioned the technique of pumping the brakes to stop the wheels from sliding on hot rubber and loos of steering.
Anti lock brakes pump the brakes for us these days in a panic stop.
In older systems we must pump the brakes to maintain control.
Al Leach
Purdy Swoft
Well-known member
Pumping mechanical brakes can have a cooling effect on the lining ,drums and tires .
30 Closed Cab PU
Well-known member
After thinking about this (pumping brakes) for a little while and searching previous posts I think I need work done on my brakes, or need to brake earlier. Probably need work done.
Thanks to all for the info.
Synchro909
Well-known member
Our Model A club ran a series of workshops ealier this year. When we did one on brakes, we also did a braking test on everyone's car. Mine were fine but one fellow's brakes were so bad, we refused to let him leave without doing what we could on the spot to improve them. Once he had seen what good brakes a Model A can have, he rebuilt his as soon as he got home. Now, he enjoys driving his A much more and more often.
The worse your brakes are, the earlier you will have to brake but on the other hand, the brakes on a Model A will never be like a modern car. My advice to any novice driver I speak to is understand that and drive accordingly.
Y-Blockhead
Well-known member
Now if we could just convince the other idiots on the road of that fact maybe they would be a little more considerate and not pull out in front of us.
Never mind, not going to happen...
Synchro909
Well-known member
Now if we could just convince the other idiots on the road of that fact maybe they would be a little more considerate and not pull out in front of us.
Never mind, not going to happen...
Yeh, When they see us on the road, all they see is an old car. If it's old, it must be slow so they do all sorts of stupid things to get in front of it without thinking that the brakes on this old car will not be as good as theirs. It would be good if these idiots were able to think things through a little better!
Rant over but I think we can all relate!
Dick Steinkamp
Well-known member
It would be nice, but I think it is really OUR responsibility when we choose to drive these old cars in today's traffic, with today's speed limits, on today's roads, knowing their very limited ability to stop and accelerate and that they have minimal crash protection for us and our passengers.
Again, it would be great if others on the road knew our vehicle's limitations and acted accordingly, but it's not going to happen. The majority of them know as much about Model As as we know about some of their fringe hobbies. Hard to blame them.
michael a
Senior Member
I'm sorry but I'm not buying it. I drive a 94 Ford Explorer everyday rain and shine it's my work car it has three hundred and fifty thousand miles on it so to keep it on the shiny side I'm driving like a car with 350,000 miles on it no jack rabbit starts no jolting stops and pretty much the speed long limit at all times. Do this I get honking horns multiple finger signs and general anger toward me and my car for driving the posted speeds. We live in a world of idiots in a hurry talking on the phone instead of paying attention the roads we have now are mostly nice rural roads with the highways being four-lane and yet there is still wreck after wreck after wreck everyday and there is no excuse for it just inattentive driving and being able to drive over the speed limit very easily. Will my model a stop on a dime you know it will not but it will stop more than adequately for the speed limits that I am supposed to drive where I drive it.
Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
Arthur Leighton
New member
You should drive just as fast as you can, that way you get to where you are going before you have an accident.
Hoogah
Well-known member
Nice first post, Arthur!!
You've set the tone for your future contributions!Welcome to the Barn!
P.S. You might want to add your location to your avatar, so we can look out for you on the road!
Licensed to kill
Well-known member
Actually, longer levers will make the brakes activate SLOWER but with more power. Perhaps this is why Henry designed it the way he did. The rear brakes come on first but, the shorter lever on the front will make the front "catch up" by applying faster than the rears. Just thinking out loud.
ryanheacox
Well-known member
I would have been right there with him before changing to cast iron drums. My brakes weren't just anti-lock, they were anti-stop.
ericr
Well-known member
one would think there would have been more discussion about brake adjustment in the Bulletins than what there was, as noted above. There is lots of discussion about odd boo-boos that certain dealers were caught doing, but something as important about brakes does not get harangued repeatedly....
Purdy Swoft
Well-known member
Brake adjustment is mentioned in two places in the bulletins . one for the early and another in a different page for the later more common model A brakes . . Without copying the bulletin I'll tell how I do mine . I first disconnect the brake rods at the adjustable clevis end so they will be free and ready to adjust when the time comes . I then move on to the service brake cross shaft adjustment . I disconnect the pedal rod and adjust it so that the plunger at the rear of the pedal rod is 1/16 of an inch from the inside rear of the center cross member where the plunger meets the brake light switch on the 30-31 models . This adjustment is the easy way to set the cross shaft levers pointing straight up and down as Larry Sheppard mentions in a previous post . I then prop the brake pedal at the top of its travel . I adjust the clevis on the pedal rod so that the clevis pin will just enter the brake pedal and hold it at the top of its travel . I then adjust the brakes at the adjustment wedges on the backing plates . I pull back any slack at the front brake levers and adjust the clevises on the front brake rods so that the clevis pins will just enter the front brake levers . I then move to the rear and adjust the rear service brake rods. I pull forward on the rear brake levers to remove slack . I adjust the clevises on the rear brake rods so that the clevis pins will just enter the brake levers. This setup will have all slack in the system removed and the brakes will be ready to activate when the pedal is depressed. If the inner brake parts are in usable condition the brakes will be good .
Dick Steinkamp
Well-known member
Thanks, Purdy. I missed that one. It is on page 297 in the service bulletins and is part of the entry on retrofitting a solid cross shaft to an early car.