Hydraulic Brakes?

J

jaguar6165

Senior Member
I have a completely stock 1928 and want to make it a little more practicle for every day driving. I want to do hydraulic brakes, but have been reading mixed reviews. I actually want to be able to stop. I have heard people say they dont do much better then the mechanical brakes, but i have also seen people say that they are a good upgrade. I want to know if i would see a difference in braking, if they would be an improvement over the stock ones.
 
I have had both on two different model A's. I used the typical 39 ford set up and although they worked I always had a "soft pedal" I made the mod because I knew eventually I would go V-8, which I did. This was forty years ago and the currently available mods weren't even thought of. With my current A I went all the way through the mechanical system and frankly in imho it's the way to go. The only caviat is you must analize your current system and realize odds are it will need to be a complete rebuild and not halfazzed. I'm very satisfied with my mechanicals.
 
I don't hesitate to modify my car to make it safer and more practical for highway driving. But the brakes on a Model A work very well when they are in good condition, so I have (almost) stock brakes. I have tried a couple of types of floaters, but next time I have the front drums off I'm going back to completely stock. The only change to the stock brakes that makes sense to me is to install cast iron drums, which I have.

Put your money into fixing the stock brakes properly. The basic operating design of the early Ford Lockheed hydraulic brakes, which is what most people use to convert, is actually not as good as the stock Model A design. And you then have to maintain the hydraulics, which is more trouble than maintaining the mechanical brakes. Once the stock brakes are set up correctly, a couple of clicks a year on the adjusters is all you need.

Joe
 
so is there any real advantage to going to the hydraulic brakes? I live in florida where people have a hard time driving i just want to be able to stop if someone in front of me desides to stop short or cut me off. how tightly should my stock brakes be adjusted? i had a very soft pedal when i thought they we adjusted pretty well but i tightened them up and it made a big difference, but i dont want to over tighten them.
 
I've had both. Currently I have hydraulic and quite frankly I think they are overated in the performance category. Mine stop just as bad.....or good, as the mechanicals do.

Jack
 
Properly restored mechanical brakes will be more reliable, and have less trouble than a hydraulic conversion.

I have never had any trouble with pulling, or fluids on the shoes with mechanical brakes.

My father had a very nice 39, low miles,drove very smooth ---but the brakes were always leaking on the shoes, causing a pull, or grabbing.

In side by side stopping testing the model A stopped in shorter distances, with 1 more stop before fade set in than the 39.
 
Anybody out there know what "FORD SCRIPT" alum heads marked 48-6050+48-6049 it also has "HT" embossed on them . Question what does the ht stand for???? ken ct.
 
Properly adjust hydraulic brakes preferable the modern bendix kind completely rebuilt and not halfazzed will work just a good as mechanical brakes. I wonder if I can find some mechanical brakes for my 63 Corvette?

I'll have to agree, the 40-48 Ford brakes are crap. I use the MT Car Products new bendix backing plates. The F1 brakes won't work with period wire wheels and I have a set I bought by mistake that were advertised as coming off a 40 Ford. BTW, I have big/little tires, 215r70 on front and Coker 650r16 on the back with 35 Ford wheels. I drive my 28RPU often and don't like the skinny stock wheels/tires for handling and stopping that squeal with mild cornering.

28ford.jpg

http://members.fortunecity.com/pjsauber/HydraulicBrakes.htm
 
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Granted the Ford Lockheed style have some faults, but the F1 Bendix style will be a big improvement over the best mechanical system, and are no more difficult to install than 39-48.
JoeWay.... maintaining hydraulics? There's more maintenance to do on mechanicals than on hydraulics. Do a visual on the m/c fluid once a month, what else is there? Mechanicals need to be adjusted once a month... at least all the ones I ever had required constant adjustment. :D
 
Bassman/NZ said:
Granted the Ford Lockheed style have some faults, but the F1 Bendix style will be a big improvement over the best mechanical system, and are no more difficult to install than 39-48.
JoeWay.... maintaining hydraulics? There's more maintenance to do on mechanicals than on hydraulics. Do a visual on the m/c fluid once a month, what else is there? Mechanicals need to be adjusted once a month... at least all the ones I ever had required constant adjustment. :D
Click to expand...

Why would mechaical brakes need adjustment more than hydraulics? Using the same material in each, they should wear at the same rate, and I've never seen any car that needed adjustment once a month.
 
jaguar6165 said:
I have a completely stock 1928 and want to make it a little more practicle for every day driving. I want to do hydraulic brakes, but have been reading mixed reviews. I actually want to be able to stop. I have heard people say they dont do much better then the mechanical brakes, but i have also seen people say that they are a good upgrade. I want to know if i would see a difference in braking, if they would be an improvement over the stock ones.
Click to expand...

Adjust the brakes, as it makes no difference if hydraulic brakes lock up the tires or mechanicals lock them up. They both will make the car stop. If I spent 2 grand for brakes I would also say, and make myself believe, that they worked better.

I you still think you have to make changes, put the 2 grand or so into a high compression head, balanced crank, touring cam, and V8 clutch instead. These will make the engine run better than the brakes.
 
On my '31 driver coupe, My mechanical brakes work just like hydraulic brakes do without a power booster. If you set the brakes up properly they are fine. I think the factor is the car is light and the tires are narrow and you won't see much difference with hydraulics
 
Both type of brakes will stop the same with the stock model A size tires.
(Poorly)
Just be aware of that from the start.
As far as hydraulic brakes leaking? NEVER if they are assembled right.
 
I think that if I was going to spend the money to go to hydrolic brakes, i would probably go ahead and do Disk brakes. I have ridden in a car with disk hydrolic brakes, and WOW what the difference. And my car has properly tuned mechanical brakes that squeel to a stop, but the Disk brakes are a whole world of difference.
 
I come down on the side of properly designed and installed hydraulic brakes for cars that are going to be driven more than a couple of hundred miles a year or in heavy traffic. Mechanical brakes definitely have their place. If you only put a couple of hundred miles a year on the car hydraulic brakes will tend to have problems. If you are going to store the car for several years you will have problems with hydraulic brakes. If you are going to show the car you will be at a definite disadvantage with hydraulic brakes. Now for the other side. If you intend to drive the car (especially on the freeways) my opinion is you need hydraulic brakes. If I was going to let my daughter drive the car it would have hydraulic brakes.

Most of the problems attributed to hydraulic brakes are the result of poor installation. This includes design (using the wrong size master cylinder and/or the wrong leverage on the master cylinder lever), physical installation (copper tubing, poor flaring of the brake lines) or poorly made reproduction parts. Once these are eliminated the ’39 to ’48 Ford brakes are as reliable as the ones on a modern car (although the Lockheed design will require more pedal pressure than the Bendix design used on modern cars that don’t have disc brakes). When is the last time you had problems with the hydraulic brakes on a modern car? Having said that I feel that any changes you make should be reversible and that you should keep of the original parts for that time you or the next owner decide to put the mechanical brakes back on the car.

Charlie Stephens
 
The hot ticket right now amongst guys building four-banger-powered gow jobs are ‘32 Ford mechanical brakes. Among other things, it does away with the stamped steel drums.

-Dave
 
As many have said, the stock, narrow Model A tires will be what limits your braking...not the brakes themselves, either hydraulic or properly set up mechanicals. If you are going hydraulic then you might as well go to larger tires also..........
 
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