FlatHead Ted Brake Floaters

johnr9q@yahoo.com

johnr9q@yahoo.com

Senior Member
I am installing the "BRAKE FLOATERS KIT TEDS" (Snyders P/N A-2051-FHT). An article in the winter 2007 Model A Times that provides installation instructions on Page 5 says "Tighten The lower anchor bolt nut to 40 foot pounds" When I do this, the wedge is so tight it won't move. I loosen it a bit and it works fine. On the other wheel I tightened to 40 foot pounds ant it works just fine. Any ideas on what is wrong?
 
It could be a quite minor difference in machining that causes that. I wouldn't stress about it. Just tighten the one that jams to just short of it jamming and call it good.
 
I have 7000 thousand miles on a Flathead Ted's Floater Kit and the brakes still work fantastically. The brakes work much better than the stock design because the shoes find center in the drums without dependence on those horrible brake roller tracks.
 
Snyder's sells two versions - the original (A-2051-FHT) for $295 and the deluxe (A-2051-DLX) for $375.

Is there a preferred version between these two?
 
The least expensive kit uses the stock rollers and roller guides. If your rollers and tracks are in good shape, this kit will work for you. The advantage of the more expensive kit is it helps center the shoes on questionable tracks..
 
Side tracking this thread - I hope you all don't mind.
On all of my As, I have bog standard steel drums etc on the back. On the front, I have cast drums, woven linings and the floating wedge adaption. I can still easily lock up the rear brakes while I'm sure there is more to be had from the back end if I can get the front ones working better.
Is it possible to buy only the FHT front wheel kit? I think he rear brakes are quite adequate but the front needs a boost. If I were to decide to up the performance of the back brakes, I would fit cast drums.
 
I don't see anywhere listed on FHT's website (or anywhere else) for just the front brakes http://flatheadted.com/index.php?pa...category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=54
They are located in New Zealand so maybe you could give them a shout?

There is a front brake floater kit that Snyder's sells https://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/product.htm?pid=977548&cat=41655 I did have this kit on my '30 Town Sedan and it seemed to work well. The only reason I install the FHT kit was because I won the Deluxe kit in a raffle drawing at the Annual Orange County Pancake Breakfast (which is coming up in a couple of weeks, BTW).

I have also heard of people modifying the adjustment wedge so both shoes float. I have never tried it tho.

55165059968_d68170ea19_w.jpg
 
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Y Blockhaed, That is the kit I already have.
BTW, Why do they put that pin through the post? I'm sure it would all work just as well without it.
 
Synchro909 said:
Y Blockhaed, That is the kit I already have.
BTW, Why do they put that pin through the post? I'm sure it would all work just as well without it.
Click to expand...

I think it so the two brake shoes act on each other and rotate out together. The FHT kit does basically the same but they are stationary at the bottom and rotate at the top.
 
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The way the lower anchor nut works is to locate the shoes to the center of the drums. The instructions say to leave the nuts finger tight and then clamp down on the adjustment until the brake is locked so that the wheel does not turn. This puts the shoes in the center of the drums. Then the instructions say to tighten the anchor nut and back off the adjustment to just slightly drag. This puts the shoes in the proper centered position. However, everyone is right that the wedge should move without restriction. So it is a matter of tight but not too tight. When the brake is applied the shoes move away from their rest position so that now they are self centering. So, yes, the FHT system makes the brakes self centering but only when applied.
 
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Y-Blockhead said:
I think it so the two brake shoes act on each other and rotate out together. The FHT kit does basically the same but they are stationary at the bottom and rotate at the top.
Click to expand...

Wouldn't they still do that without the pin? They would act on each other via the wedge, not the pin.
 
Synchro, Just so everyone is on the same boat, you are referring to the Snyder A-2051-F kit mentioned in Post #12 with a link. I think the pins keep the wedge in alignment so that it does not rotate. I have never played with that kit so I don't know for sure.
 
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