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Old 01-08-2021, 10:38 PM   #21
Tim Ayers
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

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Originally Posted by Anteek29 View Post
"Mechanical vs. Hydraulic Brakes" follows along the same conversation as "Which Oil is Best?"
LOL! So true.
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Old 01-08-2021, 10:48 PM   #22
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

Last year I finally converted my 35 to Lincoln brakes. Now they work....
I've owned and driven this car since the early 70's, towed many heavy loads, raced it, all with rod brakes. What I've found with rod brakes in 35 fords, is that sure, you can lock them up once, twice, maybe three times [could be pushing it], but you cannot continually keep locking them up; they go away. Same as going down a big, twisty, windy mountain pass, [we have many 'little hills' like that here in New Zealand], the brakes just fade, so much so that you can ride that brake pedal all the way down the pass with absolutely no retardation whatsoever! Engine braking is very important with rod brakes.
Now I'm running a Columbia. Where has the engine braking gone?? The Lincoln brakes would be the 2nd best modification I've ever performed during my ownership of this car.
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Old 01-08-2021, 10:49 PM   #23
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

Any improvement to your vehicle that makes it safer is money well spent,despite one's love for nostalgia and rationalization for not doing so, unless you rarely drive your vehicle or drive it only in pristine weather and trraffic conditions. . Think of the days of no safety plate glass or padded dashes or seat belts or "spear shaped" hood ornaments.
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Old 01-08-2021, 10:50 PM   #24
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

I have both and both can work great if properly maintained and don’t see a advantage to either . I do see a issue with someone trying to upgrade with a 1936 ford. This is because in 36 ford uses a different offset in the backing plates and different spindle. So updates to a 36 juice brakes will be a few more bucks as the spindles need a upgraded to get proper offset on juice brakes as well and not sure if upgrade is the proper word
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Old 01-08-2021, 10:51 PM   #25
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

Mechanical vs. Hydraulic Brakes" follows along the same conversation as "Which Oil is Best?

RUBBISH!! Why don't modern vehicles run mechanical brakes? Because they're not a patch on the modern boosted disc [hydraulic] brakes. That's why!
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Old 01-08-2021, 10:53 PM   #26
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

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Hop up, 35, 36 fords can use 39-40 Lincoln backing plates which have the deep offset.
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Old 01-09-2021, 08:37 AM   #27
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

Brian thank for that great information I won’t be throwing the 36 stuff out any longer . So are you using the Lincoln drums as well.
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Old 01-09-2021, 10:30 AM   #28
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

I thought I wrote this before: a brake rod and a brake line. Pick one. Brake rods are
solid as a rock, brake lines and hoses subject to rust. Unless you live in the perfect world.
Here we deal with 30s 40s 50s brakes ok so a 3 yr old car, wife car pray god hydraulic hose blew out and she went right thru red light duel brake a joke. Our Model A and even
my T I throw ya thru the windshield. sam

ain't got air brakes or mechanical s I DO NOT want it...
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Old 01-09-2021, 01:00 PM   #29
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

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Part of the problem with mechanical brakes is that they must be maintained. As levers, bushings, pins, rollers, etc. wear, they induce slack in the system, causing uneven braking. They also require lubrication. I just did a complete restoration of a 1929 Ford mechanical brake system. When I started, you could press the brake pedal with both feet and the car wouldn't stop. I can now "lock em up" and bring the car to a quick stop from 50 MPH.
once you get them dialed in, they don't need much work. also you let your car sit for 20 years, the brakes will still work!
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Old 01-09-2021, 01:18 PM   #30
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

Or like asking a Vietnam infantryman on combat duty:
'Which rifle did the US infantry serving in Viet Nam prefer?"

No! This not going to turn into a political discussion.

Last edited by 19Fordy; 01-09-2021 at 02:04 PM.
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Old 01-09-2021, 05:14 PM   #31
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

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I thought I wrote this before: a brake rod and a brake line. Pick one. Brake rods are
solid as a rock, brake lines and hoses subject to rust. Unless you live in the perfect world.
Here we deal with 30s 40s 50s brakes ok so a 3 yr old car, wife car pray god hydraulic hose blew out and she went right thru red light duel brake a joke. Our Model A and even
my T I throw ya thru the windshield. sam

ain't got air brakes or mechanical s I DO NOT want it...
Hard rubber tires don't go flat either, would you prefer them over modern tires?
Bill
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Old 01-09-2021, 05:23 PM   #32
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

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All manufactures upgraded to hydraulic brakes, Ford just lagged behind because of Henry's resistance to change. They tried the cable brakes first for two years. Nothing wrong with keeping a stock car stock/original, but Ford (and everyone else) upgraded for a reason. Jim the multiplication factor comes from the relative size of the master cylinder vs the wheel cylinders. One of the big issues was the brakes at each wheel working evenly, this becomes a factor on any slick surface. If the brake force is not applied equally the vehicle will pull in one direction or the other. Hydraulic brakes are much easier to get to work equally.
Agreed the advantage (and probably the only advantage) of hydraulics are they are self equalizing. They are probably easier to set up as well . However well adjusted and set up mechanical brakes are fine , I have certainly outbraked modern cars with hydraulics in my 34 -Karl
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Old 01-09-2021, 10:01 PM   #33
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

There is NO race track in existence that will allow a car with mechanical brakes on the track AT SPEED.

City streets and highways are NOT classified as race tracks, therefore mechanical brakes, 6 volts, incandescent bulbs, and non detergent oil are allowed.

The type of system you use is up to you. Whichever one, you will always have “whiners” from the other camp trying to get you to change.
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Old 01-10-2021, 08:54 AM   #34
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

Changed a tire on a 2009 Honda motorcycle for someone last summer. The rear wheel is mechanical brake.
The post above mentioning brake fade is inaccurate. Brakes fade because of heat. Also brake fluid fails because of heat. That does not happen with mechanical brakes.
When I climbed Mt Washington on my 49 there was a mini van coming down that pulled into a rest stop with their brakes smoking. First gear served me well with minimal brake use. I do not care what you are driving you can run out of brakes.
Which brings to mind the story from filming the movie, bullet. The camera man in the back was getting nervous and told Steve McQueen he had run out of film to which Steve replied he ran out of brakes miles ago.
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Old 01-10-2021, 09:22 AM   #35
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

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Changed a tire on a 2009 Honda motorcycle for someone last summer. The rear wheel is mechanical brake.
The post above mentioning brake fade is inaccurate. Brakes fade because of heat. Also brake fluid fails because of heat. That does not happen with mechanical brakes.
When I climbed Mt Washington on my 49 there was a mini van coming down that pulled into a rest stop with their brakes smoking. First gear served me well with minimal brake use. I do not care what you are driving you can run out of brakes.
Which brings to mind the story from filming the movie, bullet. The camera man in the back was getting nervous and told Steve McQueen he had run out of film to which Steve replied he ran out of brakes miles ago.
I don't think a motorcycle is a direct comparison; especially if it was a dirt bike.
A motorcycle brake rod is around two feet in length and has two pivot points by design. Very little to go wrong in this set up. They are either adjust correctly or they aren't. Plus, on a motorcycle, you can push down on the rear brake lever with all of your weight. Three things will happen: Wheel locks up (which is most often the case with a motorcycle due to most of the weight being towards the front side of centerline or goes into a skid on dirt to lack of grip vs. pavement, wheel slows down but doesn't go into a skid, or brake doesn't work due to poor mechanical connection for various reasons.

The weight difference between these two vehicles is tremendously different as well. If it was a dirt bike, what did it weigh? At most 250 lbs. It's a street bike (Harley, Indian, and full dressers not included) what did it weight? 500 +/- That is worlds apart from trying to stop something weighing 2,000 lbs or more.

Last edited by Tim Ayers; 01-10-2021 at 09:30 AM.
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Old 01-10-2021, 09:31 AM   #36
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

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Hard rubber tires don't go flat either, would you prefer them over modern tires?
Bill
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Old 01-10-2021, 05:53 PM   #37
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

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Originally Posted by big job View Post
I thought I wrote this before: a brake rod and a brake line. Pick one. Brake rods are
solid as a rock, brake lines and hoses subject to rust. Unless you live in the perfect world.
Here we deal with 30s 40s 50s brakes ok so a 3 yr old car, wife car pray god hydraulic hose blew out and she went right thru red light duel brake a joke. Our Model A and even
my T I throw ya thru the windshield. sam

ain't got air brakes or mechanical s I DO NOT want it...
Thrown threw the windshield that would be a site that plate glass is really safe!
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Old 01-10-2021, 06:00 PM   #38
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

Frank, That Steve McQueen response is 'golden".
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Old 01-10-2021, 07:20 PM   #39
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

Pete, I have seen many vintage racers at Road America with mechanical brakes. Bugatti for one, old '30s indy cars, etc. At speed? Well they aren't as fast as a modern race car for sure.
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Old 01-11-2021, 08:24 AM   #40
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Default Re: What are the advantages of upgrading to Hydraulic Braks

While someone contested about the motorcycle being a direct comparison it was a 750 Shadow street bike. My point was that his technology has not been abandoned. And it is funny because you will see most dirt bikes running hydraulic discs.
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