Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

I have adjusted rods and shoes but pedal goes almost to floor and hand brake will not hold. My question is , if I adjust the hand brake , will there be more distance from the pedal to the floor?

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

The hand brake is not adjustable. The brake adjustment procedure is in the reprint 1932-1936 Engine and Chassis Repair Manual "V-13" which is available from many parts vendors.

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

The two controls (pedal and hand brake) are independent of one another. If all four wheels are adjusted properly and all four brake rods are adjusted to the correct position of the arms on the brake cross shaft on the center cross member, you can adjust your brake pedal to raise it for earlier engagement of the brakes. However, your hand brake issue suggests that at least some, if not all of the problem arises from incorrect adjustment of the system before the brake pedal enters the equation.

Are your brake drums still within the allowable maximum inside diameter? There's an easy way to tell by looking at the arms attached to the external front brake operating shafts and the arms on the rear brake backing plates. At rest after adjustment of each wheel's brakes those arms must not be anything less than vertical toward the center of the car. Better yet is when they are slightly off vertical toward the front of the car for the front brakes and toward the rear of the car for the rear brakes. That ensures the maximum amount of leverage and the smallest amount of movement of the brake rods and ultimately the brake pedal for the brakes to perform as intended. The next step is covered in the following paragraph.

When the hand brake is off and the system is at rest are the arms on the cross shaft that the brake rods attach to in a vertical position or slightly beyond vertical towards the wheels as they should be when you adjusted the rods (after first adjusting each wheel's brakes)?

Do not adjust the pedal until after you've taken the above steps progressively. It may require little or no adjustment.

In addition to KiWinUS's helpful addition, all of the above assumes that all the clevises and clevis pins are not excessively worn nor are the holes for the clevis pins in the ends of the brake rods and operating levers oblong out of round. If any of these are worn, replace them. NOS brake rods are becoming difficult to find and you may have to weld up the holes and drill new holes of the original diameter.

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Well explained by David. Also be sure the rods are straight & the rubber lined guides do not have an tension on center of rods.
Cheers
Tony

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Thanks for help. I have straightened bent rods and am following the steps suggested.
Hope to finish soon but it's so hot I must pace myself.

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

DavidG - Will the procedure you posted apply to a '34 as well?

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Pete,

Yes, I believe it to be generic, Modell A through '36. The cable-operated front brakes on a '37-'38 call for a somewhat different process and to be done by the book require a special KRW cable stretcher.

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Thank You, David....

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Here's a few pages from a NAPA service book describing brake adjustment for a 35 and 36 Ford.

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Reassembling ‘36 mechanical brakes that I didn’t remove.
I understand the cross shaft needs to be vertical. There is a spring in the cavity behind the cross shaft which appears to install between the rear rods at the top of the shaft but the spring pulls the shaft to the rear and the rods are then too long towards the rear. How does this work?

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

I adjusted as David G suggested and now have over 1/2 pedal. Car is stopping good and is straight. I had to maximize pedal and rear rod clevis adjustments to get this. Will be looking to replace drums for more improvement. Thanks

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Don,

Where can I get this NAPA Book?

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Katsfan,

That spring sounds like a post production addition unless you are referring to the bake pedal return spring. You can adjust the pedal-to-cross shaft rod to return the crors shat to its optimum position.

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Pete, The book was originally published by NAPA in the 30's but later reprinted by PolyPrints?? in the 70's and 80's.

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

The spring on the brake pedal only pulls the pedal back into the up position. What moves the cross shaft itself back if there is no spring on the top of the shaft?

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Thanks, Don....

Re: Adjusting mechanical brakes on 36 ford car
 

Are the open and closed type front brake drums for 36 passenger car interchangeable with out modifications?