F1 Rear Brake Upgrade

J

jack orchard

Senior Member
What is required to upgrade the rear brakes (stock axle) on my 1951 F1 to later self-adjusting brakes? Looks like it would be fairly easy, but i have not been there, done that. Is it worth the trouble? Anyone have ideas? Thanks to all...jack
 
Go to Napa and get the self adjusting kits and cable kits. Basically need 2 cables and guides, plus the levers and star wheels. Get a spring kit also for the spring across the bottom. I did this on my 50 F-1 with the parts from a 71-72 Ford Galaxie with 11 inch brakes. Your shoes must have the holes for the guides on the rear 2 shoes. If not, use new shoes for a 60's-70's Ford car. I actually did this for all 4 wheels.
 
The front brakes do most of the work. Once on my F1 I had the right rear cylinder seize and jam the brake on - in the middle of nowhere. I crimped the brake pipe in the diff, cut the pipe to the cylinder which released the pressure to free the drum, and carried on. No noticeable difference in braking - didn't test an emergency stop though. Renewed the whole system and in original stock factory condition I think the brakes are excellent.
 
I did much the same thing with a froze up early Chebby 4 piston caliper.
These things were just plain not available at any price!
I removed the caliper and stuffed a screw in the brake line.
I sold that piece of s#*t and told the buyer "There ain't no brakes on the right front".
I said it loud and clear, and made the guy repeat it back to me!
I might coulda sold him some English 101, ya think? :D
 
Back when drum brakes were common they had kits to get rid of the self-adjusting feature. The self adjusters work, more or less, but do you really need them??
 
Most guys that have the savy to put them on are able enough to adjust them now and then. It's the folks that don't know how to adjust them that need them. I used to do adjustments every time I got ready to take the car out of town which was usually about once a year. While I was at it I'd hit all the zerks under the car with some chassis grease. Folks just don't take the time to do this stuff called preventative maintenance any more. Most new cars are made to go without but the old ones weren't. A person should get in the habit of checking this stuff when ever they do their seasonal checks or oil changes just like folks used to do. I'm getting just as bad too since I don't drive the old cars as much as I used to. Sometimes I think we are all turning into lumps of jelly or is it just that I'm getting too old.
 
Flathead and rotorwrench: i am beginning to understand what a small amount of time it takes to adjust the brakes - once or twice a year. Maybe i'm getting too lazy...jack
 
I also dont perceive any benefit from changing the brakes. As stated above, the back brakes do very little to assist stopping.
 
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