Hydraulic brakes questions - super hard pedal

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by billybronco1

I realized I do not need the hub/wheel spacer because I'm running 16" wheels off a 34 ford. Also the metal in the bearing was the remains of a shim. Now as I lay in bed thinking of what to do next. I need seals and a few front bearings which I will order soon - BUT?

I was thinking about bleeding the brakes - where I have two master cylinders (one for the front - one for the rear) I will have to do a front & rear bleed at the same time as the peddle will not go down if I just do one - sound right? This is going to get interesting. I had a friend look at the wheel cylinders as I pushed on the brake lightly with hubs off - they all move out on one shoe. Are both shoes suppose to move or just one?

You are not out of the woods yet. The 16 inch wire wheels you have are probably from a '35 as the '34 wheels were 17 inch. Hard to tell for sure without a picture. The Ford wire wheels through '35 all needed the adapter. Attached you wil find photos of the original Model A drum and hub assembly with an arrow pointing to the raised ring. This was replaced with raised and machined areas in the drums beginning with the late '31 cast drums and going through '35. The '40 drum did not have this raised area and needed an adapter ring as shown.

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by columbiA

Ive always installed the key with the chamfer on the axle & facing diff.As for using 29-35 wires on 46-48 drums,Ive used 2 flat washers on each stud & never had a problem with wheels cracking.Sometimes you have to grind or knock off a balance weight on the drum so that wheel will seat properly.

I can't visualize how the two washers would solve the problem of the inboard side of the lug nut hole being at a higher elevation then the outboard side due to the raised area on the '28-'35 drums. I have included photos of a Model A drum and later cast drums to show the raised area I am talking about. I have also included a photo of a '40-'48 type drum without the raised areas and one with an adapter setting on the drum. I am sure you could get away without the spacer without having a problem since the wheels were strong and the cars are driven very little but I sleep better with the adapters installed on mine.

Charlie Stephens

[billybronco1]

I'm sure the adapters would not hurt - where do you buy them? If I go back to 19 - 21" rims I would defiantly need them

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by billybronco1

I'm sure the adapters would not hurt - where do you buy them? If I go back to 19 - 21" rims I would defiantly need them

Buy them the same place you order you other parts to save shipping. You also need them on the '35 rims. MAC's has them (macsautoparts.com) has them under part umber A1015SP. Please don't even think about using 19 inch rims on a '29.

Charlie Stephens

[billybronco1]

Car has had 16" wheels on it for seven years - why not 19"? This is by no mean an original show car.

[Charlie Stephens]

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Originally Posted by billybronco1

Car has had 16" wheels on it for seven years - why not 19"? This is by no mean an original show car.

I am sorry I misled you with my editorial comment. Unless you are dealing with an AR (early '28) the 19 inch wheels will fit and function fine on the '28-'29. It is just a personal thing but I really dislike the 19 inch wheels on a '28-'29 vehicle. I also don't like to see the 21 inch wheels on a '30-'31. The strange thing is that I don't have the same negative reaction about the 16 inch wheels (maybe it is because it was a common WW II change). I wonder how other people feel about this?

Charlie Stephens

[billybronco1]

I'm not sure I need the spacers with the 16" wheels as they are from a 34-36 era car and with juice brakes my hubs are 39-46 they seem to pull down all they way - am I missing something here?

I understand if I put 19 -21 inch like what was on original I would need the spacers with the hubs I have - right?

[Charlie Stephens]

All of the 1928-35 wire wheels had a step to allow or the ring or machined pads. I don't know the reason for this step but the engineers obviously intended that there be support in this area. I tend to error on the safe side and use the adapters. As someone else pointed out with the low mileage and gentle usage you can probably run without the spacers for years. Look at the back of your wheels and you will see where this step is, put some modeling clay there and you will see there is a gap. If I had a limited budget I would put the brake clips or hub retainers on first.

Charlie Stephens

[billybronco1]

Originally Posted by billybronco1

Has anyone ever used one of these hub pullers for drums

Anyone had luck using a wheel puller like this found on ebay?

[van Dyck]

I've noticed in post#47 that the brake shoe installation is inconsistent front and rear. Question: does the long lining shoe fit into the large end of the wheel cylinder and the short lining shoe fit into the small end of the wheel cylinder?

[billybronco1]

Maybe I should pull both rears again and compare as the right rear is okay but I have too much drag in the left rear and can't adjust it to be free. Its not real bad but more than I would desire and it seems the shoes do not retract all the way. If I snap the ebrake cable sometimes its better, then I step on the brake and it drags again, so among other things it appears to be sticking. I bought one of these hub pullers on eBay so until it comes I can't do anything. The first time I took it apart the hubs came right off only because the axle nut was not tight at all.

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by billybronco1

Maybe I should pull both rears again and compare as the right rear is okay but I have too much drag in the left rear and can't adjust it to be free. Its not real bad but more than I would desire and it seems the shoes do not retract all the way. If I snap the ebrake cable sometimes its better, then I step on the brake and it drags again, so among other things it appears to be sticking. I bought one of these hub pullers on eBay so until it comes I can't do anything. The first time I took it apart the hubs came right off only because the axle nut was not tight at all.

Since you are going to have it apart again take the drums to a brake shop and have them measured. Most people consider 12.060 (unless otherwise marked on the drum) the maximum safe diameter. This may be the law in some states and is the industry standard in other areas. If you are going to need them for your next brake job it is better to look for them at swap meets or in for sale ads than to have to buy them at a premium because you need them in a hurry.

Charlie Stephens

[van Dyck]

The E-brake cable should be backed off a long way so that brake shoe-to-drum clearance can be correctly adjusted. Once this is accomplished, adjust the E-brake cable. Also check for cable freedom of movement: it must retract completely on its own without assisted "snapping" or jiggling.

[billybronco1]

I bought one of those wheel pullers posted in #89 - it worked very well