The Brake Debate

Junior

Junior

Member
While researching the best practice to adjusting the brakes on my 29 A, I began to research and found there are two ways to do it.

Both methods use the brake adjusting tool (piece of wood with three steps cut out that is placed between the seat and brake pedal).

Method 1 shows adjusting the brakes at the brake wedge adjustment located on the backing plate and says nothing about adjusting the brake rods.

Method 1 can been seen here

Method 2 shows adjusting the brakes by adjusting the brake rods and seems to state that the brake wedge adjustment should only be adjusted if the car is pulling one way or another.

Method 2 can be read here

So the question is; which way is best, or is it a combination of the two or is there a even better way to adjust the brakes.
 
My Dad and I just adjusted the brakes on our town sedan last week and we started by adjusting the brake rods to eliminate any slop. Then we used the brake tool to adjust the wedges as described in Les Andrews' book. I don't see how you can adjust the brakes without adjusting the wedges.

Chris
 
Les has a great you tube video on timing. What I didn't realize until I saw your post is that he is the author of the mechanics handbook. Ordering it today. Thanks for the tip!
 
I just adjusted my brakes this morning using Les's method, including adjusting the rods. They work great now!
 
I adjust the wedges and 'exercise' them until I get the adjustment to 'stay put' ,, then,, I use the 'board' and adjust the rods to get each wheel 'drag' where I like..
 
This is funny cause I just did mine this weekend using Les's repair book. My biggest hurdle was the adjusting board, I'm not many things with carpentry being somewhere at the top of the list. I fiddle with it for about an hour and got no where as it always seemed to be backwards from where it needed to be:rolleyes: Called on a buddy who knows what he it doing and he had it measured and cut out in 5 minutes:o

The rear rods were out about a quarter inch each but the real problem was the drivers side front rod. It was out about half an inch, I followed the the rest of the adjustment instructions and the brakes are better than they have ever been .

dusty
 
Tried to adjust the brakes using the wood brake tool method and just adjusting the brakes at the wedge as a saw a ole timer do on you tube. Couldn't tell that the rods had slop in them. They seemed ok anyway. Went over it three times to make sure I did it right before taking it off the lift. Brakes are new as is everything under the hubs. Brakes were horrible. Actually had to use the parking brake a little at one point to turn back in the drive way. Pedal would go all the way down and car would not stop. So now I know the rods must need adjusting. Waiting on the Mechanics Handbook which I understand explains how to adjust both the rods and the wedges. Guess the ole timer on you tube had his rods adjusted already before making the video. Should have known the rods would need adjusting to, just don't know what I'm doing yet, but I guess that's how newbies learn sometimes. Will post a update when I get the book and go by it. If they still are not right, I will be pulling the hubs and going through the brake assemblies again. Thought about cutting a hole in the floor board and using my feet to stop but there is to much stuff in the way underneath.
 
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Claude, (My real Guru), says, "Forget the stupid board, disconnect all rods at backing plates, pull one rear rod gently back, push same lever gently forward, adjust rod so the pin just goes in, leave rod unhooked until the other rod is adjusted. Do each front the same, except you'll be pulling the rod gently forward & pushing the operating lever gently back. Attach all rods with pins & cotter keys. Rods will NEVER have to be adjusted again. Then adjust the normal square adjuster 'til the wheel just locks, back off 2 to 4 knotches & DONE!! If one wheel grabs or pulls, just back off square adjuster a knotch or two on the offending wheel." Now, wasn't that EASY! After that, all you need to do is after a few thousand miles, just adjust the square adjuster to get the pedal back up to snuff. Bill W.
(Just keep it simple, these cars are NOT even related to ROCKETS!)
 
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Junior said:
Tried to adjust the brakes using the wood brake tool method and just adjusting the brakes at the wedge as a saw a ole timer do on you tube. Couldn't tell that the rods had slop in them. They seemed ok anyway. Went over it three times to make sure I did it right before taking it off the lift. Brakes are new as is everything under the hubs. Brakes were horrible. Actually had to use the parking brake a little at one point to turn back in the drive way. Pedal would go all the way down and car would not stop. So now I know the rods must need adjusting. Waiting on the Mechanics Handbook which I understand explains how to adjust both the rods and the wedges. Guess the ole timer on you tube had his rods adjusted already before making the video. Should have known the rods would need adjusting to, just don't know what I'm doing yet, but I guess that's how newbies learn sometimes. Will post a update when I get the book and go by it. If they still are not right, I will be pulling the hubs and going through the brake assemblies again. Thought about cutting a hole in the floor board and using my feet to stop but there is to much stuff in the way underneath.
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Junior you can't adjust the brakes or rods if the suspension is hanging on the lift as the rods are being pulled.
 
We used the book adjustments for the rods first and then the block for wedges. Brakes work like a champ.
 
The end result that you want is for all 4 wheels to brake evenly just before they lock up. The board method is mainly a waste of time in my opinion. The front brakes should lock up before the rears in order to avoid the rear end tail-gating around and losing your direction control.
 
Richard Lorenz said:
The end result that you want is for all 4 wheels to brake evenly just before they lock up. The board method is mainly a waste of time in my opinion. The front brakes should lock up before the rears in order to avoid the rear end tail-gating around and losing your direction control.
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I may be wrong, but shouldn't the rear brakes lock up first. I know from my experience, one of my front locked up and my rear end almost met my front end.
 
Fred K-OR said:
I may be wrong, but shouldn't the rear brakes lock up first. I know from my experience, one of my front locked up and my rear end almost met my front end.
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That is simply an issue of pulling to one side which can be deadly if extreme. It has nothing to do with front vs. rear bias.
 
Adjusting the brakes is very simple. I put stands under the axles, NOT the frame. Stands under the axles allow me to be able to turn the wheels when adjusting the adjusting wedges without the rods being pulled. I first adjust the wedges untill the wheel locks up. I then back off the adjusting wedge untill the wheel turns without bind, but not too loose. After all the adjustments have been made, front and rear, I proceed to adjust the length of the brake rods. I disconnect the brake rods to the wheels and first adjust the short pedal to cross shaft rod . The service bulletins say to allow 1/16 gap between the plunger at the rear of pedal to cross shaft rod and the rear inside of the center crossmember where it meets the stem of the brake light switch on the 30-31 cars. This adjustment needs to be made with the brake pedal at the top of its travel so that you will have full pedal travel. The 1/16 gap is said to prevent squeeks between the plunger and center crossmember. I have never noticed squeeks so I adjust mine all the way to the crossmember with NO gap. This gives more adjustment at the brake rod clevises. After the wedges and pedal shaft adjustments have been made, I proceed to adjust the brake rods. I adjust the brake rod clevis ends so that the clevis pins will just enter. Any other adjustments can be made at the wedges when needed.
 
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