Started brake rebuild 101 today

[Indiana A. Lover]

The p o of my 1929 Model A was a Rookie on brakes. What a can of worms I have opened. My first question concerns the service brake arm I need to remove it to install a new bushing. It appears the arm is held on the shaft by a rivet. Is this normal? Yes I bought the bible of all things model A by les Andrews I will be studying it and try and not bug you all to tears. I have never worked on mechanical brakes before wish me luck. Don wishing winter will be gentle on us.

[Tom Wesenberg]

The front brake arm is riveted to the shaft. I would used a Dremel to carefully grind the head off the rivet, then drill down about 2/3 of the way with a bit that's a little smaller than the rivet, then use a straight punch to drive the rivet out. I did mine about 20 years ago, but for the little bit of side play they had I should have just left them alone.

[Indiana A. Lover]

Thank you Tom, I am going to leave that shaft alone. I have enough other things to repair. I left the other side assembled so I can use it for a land mark. Thanks again Tom!! Don studying and listening to Goood Rock and Roll. Boy I am enjoying Retirement!!

[Sunnybrook Farm]

The real important one on my car was the shaft that goes across the frame kind of behind the front seats in a tudor. My 29 had bushings that had never been greased and were worn out which put lots of friction into the breaking. The rear ones that operate the cams seemed to not get enough grease as well and were barely working. The front ones seemed to have been working, they must have got the grease as the guy could see the fittings. I also put new bushings in the break pedal which had worn badly, probably because so much foot power was being put into the ungreased system.

[2935ford]

Yup, in rebuilding A's.......besides the gas tank.......the brakes are the first thing I go through top to bottom. Every little piece in that system has to do with how good the brakes are. Don't skimp, do a thorough job and your A will stop as it was expected to when new!

[larrys40]

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A comprehensive brake job on a Model A is a large task.... most who start don't fully grasp that making them like new again requires full disassembly, replacing all bushings, shafts, and rebuilding levers properly to take out all the wear and slop in them. It includes the center brake cross shaft and it's bushings. That one alone although looks simple is not. My recommendation is to recruit someone in your area who is really familiar and does thorough work rebuilding them for pointers if you want to tackle them yourself. When you know what you're doing it's a 30-40 hour job +.

Replacing worn parts, using high quality replacements or properly restored original parts is key, along with proper religning, shoe arcing, and I recommend the new cast iron drums of your choice. Once done right and adjusted, dialed in you will be amazed how good they can be.
Larry Shepard

[burner31]

Originally Posted by Indiana A. Lover

Thank you Tom, I am going to leave that shaft alone. I have enough other things to repair. I left the other side assembled so I can use it for a land mark. Thanks again Tom!! Don studying and listening to Goood Rock and Roll. Boy I am enjoying Retirement!!

Could you take lots of pics and keep posting your progress, be sure to include the good along with the bad decisions, discoveries.
I will be starting on my brakes soon as the weather turns for the winter and I'm sure they will be more then just you and I running through the brakes this winter.
Maybe we can bounce things off each other,