Would you use this brake rod? New Pix

[Tom Wesenberg]

Keep it for "show & tell" and give Bert's a call. 800-321-1931

Bert's is closed Sundays and Mondays.

[Pilotdave]

There's a corner in the shop we call the "Curiosity Corner" - that's where those rods are going. Will pick up new ones Monday.
Thanks for all the comments and ideas. As always, this forum is great for gathering lots of input on topics like this one!

[Mikeinnj]

For any professional restorer shop to try and take the time and trouble to repair a brake rod like this would be costing the customer a lot of money. Replace it with a good re-pop or a perfect condition original brake rod and be done with it....

[Farrell In Vancouver]

Seeings how they are both marked in this way at about the same place, and you said you did not have the anti-rattler installed, could it be these are wear marks from the original anti-rattlers? Looks like it to me but I could be wrong. Try hanging them back up and see if they are close to the mounts for the anti-rattlers just for grins and giggles.

[JunkOSC]

Bad news. I would NOT use that rod.

Originally Posted by Pilotdave

Okay! Sorted out the picture uploading business - files were too large. I hope this shots will provide better data.

[Clem Clement]

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Being of unknown workmanship, I wouldn't use them. But I would save them and use them for teaching aids to others. We must continue to teach those who follow us about these wonderful cars.

[Larry Seemann]

Is it possible that those rods came from a later model car that had longer rods and someone shortened them to fit the "A"? Who knows what all has happened to these cars over the last 80 years, but way back when repair parts weren't as readily available as they are now and you made do.
Since this isn't a judging car and new rods are available and reasonably priced replacing with new is the way to go.

[ratamahata]

Cut the rod and give her a cone-shaped end and weld again!

[gweilbaker]

Could that not be a weld at all but marks from a forging process from forming the eye?

GW

[CarlG]

Not knowing any better, on my 31 280A AA that I had when I was a teen-ager, I took a couple of "broken" brake rods over to a construction site where they were welding up rebar and had them "fixed" while I waited.

[Tinker]

I would say if it's a good weld, something else will give before the weld.

Tension weld test:
3/4 in .035 4130 tubing TIG welded with ER70S2/Miller Dynasty 200DX. The tubing failed at 6740lbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69TBGskXhKk

There was a thread awhile back where someone wanted to lengthen a rod. New rods are cheap and most repop items are reliable or quality built.

I replaced 3 and tig welded one on my 28. I really don't fear it pulling apart. Frames are welded back together? Just my opinion.

Here is the guys conclusion from all test he made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEA-g...eature=related

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Tinker

I would say if it's a good weld, something else will give before the weld.

Tension weld test:
3/4 in .035 4130 tubing TIG welded with ER70S2/Miller Dynasty 200DX. The tubing failed at 6740lbs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69TBGskXhKk

There was a thread awhile back where someone wanted to lengthen a rod. New rods are cheap and most repop items are reliable or quality built.

I replaced 3 and tig welded one on my 28. I really don't fear it pulling apart. Frames are welded back together? Just my opinion.

Thank you!!!

.

[Rich in Tucson]

This left service brake rod and the left parking brake rod broke with a BANG! and a rear-end bunny-hop after I hit the brakes on an 8% descent with a hard right curve at the bottom. After looking for a shooter or a flat, I noticed the hanging brake rod.

This was an unknown to me weld (GMAW process?) into a groove worn by the brake return spring ("anti-rattler"). Note the void, cracking, and brittleness of the weld material (tab pointing up on left) and the crystallization of the original rod material. Someone apparently hit the spot HOT with the weld and may even have dunked it in water. Note that failure was due to the crystallization of the original rod, a change induced by the faulty welding.

[gunmetal blue]

If you don't want them I will take them off your hands. And I really don't need them.

[Mitch]

I've been welding for 50 years. There is nothing wrong with a proper weld, but way too many people think they know how to weld and Rich's example looks like one.

I do not know who or where the steel or product came form in Rich's example, but doesn't look good. In today's world, the problem is cheap-inconsistent-poor quality steel. It's in new cars, trailer hitches, bearing, gears, everywhere. Don't guess where it comes from.

Original Ford metals were probably much better controlled than a lot you will get today. Just my observations and experiences from restoring many pieces on my coupe. So I would rather weld up original weldable steel items than replace with parts of unknown metallurgy.

[RichPA]

At least if one breaks you still can stop with the other three...

[Rich in Tucson]

Hi Mitch,

Those were original rods I had. The metal structure looked normal an inch from these welds but it was really brittle at the breaks due to the welding.

I just hope this example, which was an attempt to add less than 1/8" of metal probably for cosmetic reasons, makes folks think twice and find a qualified welder when they need restoration of any stressed part.

[Pilotdave]

Responses to some of the points made above....
1. The joints on the brake rods are about 5" from the wheel end. The anti-rattlers are another 12" or so along the rods.

2. It's possible that they are marks related to forging the eyes - but the rod seems to change direction a bit at that mark as though two sections were "glued" together slightly out of orientation with each other.

3. Welding done by someone who knows the trade and ensures it's done right is likely fine. But I have no knowledge of who welded these rods nor how skillful that person was, and thus I do not plan to rely on them.

[Frank Miller]

What do you think the force is on a brake rod at full pedal? All thread list a min tensile strength of 125,00 psi. Given a cross section of .o7 sq inches for 5/16 that is over 9500 lbs to break the rod. This is if I have any clue as to what I am talking about. I am guessing that is how you calculate it. If you put a pressur eof 100lbs on the pedal and have a mechanical advantage by a factor of 6 that would be about 600 lbs on the rod. So even a crappy repair might hold up under hard braking. I may be all wrong and if someone knows more (which a lot here do) please enlighten me.

[Tinker]

Looking at the weld it looks to be a poor mig weld. Air gaps and layered veins. Poor penetration as well. Mig welds are a hard brittle weld. Also how clean was the area made before the weld? We will never know.