Brake light stays on

D

Daba

Member
On my 30 3 window 4 door the brake pedal doesn’t always come back all the way and the lights stay on ? Is there a helper spring that helps to pull it back or am I missing something. When I’m driving the vibration is enough to get it back but when I park it that’s when I see them on. I have to manually move the pedal back about a inch. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
 
Daba
Yes there is a "fix" which is sold by all the vendors. Look it up online, it's a spring hooked to the brake pedal which pulls the pedal back up. Some of the FB guys are good at taking a picture of one of the vendors page and pasting it. So someone should. At a seminar in Dearborn, MI I think the guy that did the brake seminar (his first name was Larry) was excellent and gave the vendors to buy your brake springs from and said they will automatically put the shoes back without the fix. Someone will no doubt know his name on the FB.
 
Thanks I found it on line. I was thinking there was a lube joint I was not seeing. It look like a simple installation. Thanks again. Daba
 
Be sure to lube every point of the linkage from wheels to pedal. The anti-rattle/brake return springs may be tired or broken. There are two types - flat and round wire coil springs. My flat springs were tired. I replaced them with the round wire type. My pedal snaps back reliably now.
 
I have the flat springs for the brake rods on two vehicles. All brake parts are new and adjusted according to spec. One was adjusted by an expert. The brake lights still stayed on! I tried the commercial version of the return bracket and spring. The spring soon gave out and, there is no adjuster. I ended up adding a heavier spring and a turn buckle and made my own for the second. Now the darn lights go off.
 
I've found that sometimes tightening the bolts on the switch deforms it a little, causing the plunger to bind. I found that using a washer as a spacer between one of the mounting tabs and the frame will keep it from deforming.
 
The brake light switches sold by the vendors are no good on a RHD car so people here have to be inventive. I've seen lots of switches bought from the big name parts stores mounted in a variety of places and a spring connected to one of the brake rods to work it.
 
MrBruce said:
Daba
Yes there is a "fix" which is sold by all the vendors. Look it up online, it's a spring hooked to the brake pedal which pulls the pedal back up. Some of the FB guys are good at taking a picture of one of the vendors page and pasting it. So someone should. At a seminar in Dearborn, MI I think the guy that did the brake seminar (his first name was Larry) was excellent and gave the vendors to buy your brake springs from and said they will automatically put the shoes back without the fix. Someone will no doubt know his name on the FB.
Click to expand...

Bruce ,
That was me that did the brake seminar in Dearborn . Glad you enjoyed it. It’s one of the most important elements of chassis rebuilding. Happy to help anytime.
Larry Shepard
 
I had a similar problem and figured out that the mushroom ended rod that pushes the stop light switch was slightly bent so the stop light switch end would slide off of the mushroom end keeping the brake light on. Straightened the rod and all works well. Drive and enjoy your "A". LRF
 
The dud switch I referred to in post #8 are the ones for the '28/29 cars. I think you guys mount them on the side of the gearbox. Here, '28/29 cars waaay outnumber the later ones and the only 1931 ones about have been privately imported more recently than the Model A days. None were sold here in 1931 due to the severity of the depression and 1930 models still sitting unsold. I believe it was possible to buy a brand new Model A as late as 1933.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top