Taking a break for some brakes.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by RonC

insured shipping?

Good luck trying to get any money from the post office. With all the things they broke of mine, I have never been able to collect a dime. After spending hours filling our forms, etc. I don't even waste my time with them anymore.

[Art Newland]

I sent the stuff Fed Ex, $100 insurance per box included. Since they were all worn out and most things were being replaced, I thought that was adequate. They came back UPS, not sure what Randy does on his end. I have collected a couple of times from UPS shipping damage, USPS... not so much.

[Marshall V. Daut]

"USPS... not so much." Paraphrasing Ernestine the Bell Telephone operator on "Laugh In":
"We're the government. We don't care. We don't have to."
Marshall

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by denniskliesen

If you have the original stamped steel drums, there is a big difference in weight going to the cast iron drums. Big advantage to cast drums and Randy's shoes are brake fade. I plan on going on a tour with a chapter I belong to up in the mountains, Mt. Baldy, in a couple weeks. I have never driven my A with the old original drums and shoes so I won't be able to tell the difference but I'll have the confidence my brakes will get me back down the mountain if I need them.

WHATEVER kind of brakes you have, when driving in MOUNTAINS, be DAMNED sure you know how to DOWNSHIFT, whether you're going UP or DOWN!!!
Know how to downshift from high to second & even second to first! IT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE---Trust me & PRACTICE-PRACTICE-PRACTICE!!!
Bill Safe

[Art Newland]

At this stage of the game, I'm pretty sure one of my new brake linings either didn't get arched, or it didn't get arched correctly. I mentioned earlier that one of the linings was a lot thicker than the others, and after thinking about some of the "on the car" brake shoe arcing I've seen in Model A videos, it dawned on me that the shoe linings should create a round circle (DUH!). I made a little wire gauge, wrapped around the spindle where the inner bearing sets and slowly spun it around. The side that works is round, the side giving me trouble follows along the arc of the rear shoe just dandy, but the front one (that looks extra thick) keeps getting thicker from middle towards the bottom. Heck Darn!

[1955cj5]

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When i brought my old truck home I first worked on the brakes...The shoes were a poor fit in the drums so I arced them with a sanding block, and repeatedly fit them in the drums checking fit......worked fine for a couple years...

There used to be a shop here that fit the shoes to the drums, but it's long gone...

Randy has them now....back next week I hope...

[Art Newland]

I'm going to move on to the rear brakes for now, would be nice to have a little progress. Trying to remove the rear radius rods now. The nut came off reasonably but the bolt won't budge.

[RawhideKid]

Art, you might just need a wee bit larger hammer.

[Dick Steinkamp]

I guess with new drums and new shoes, the shoes don't have to be arced to a specific drum. Just arced to the proper "new drum" radius.

You may want to try your wire gauge on all assembled shoes to make sure the bad one is the only bad one. Also, maybe try another shoe in its place on the same backing plate to make sure it isn't the backing plate, drum, or hardware that is tweaked.

On the radius rods, I assume you mean the bolt where the rods come together under the front of the drive shaft? If so, do you have the 4 bolts holding the radius rods at the backing plate loose or off? If not, they could be binding the front bolt.

[A31Woody]

Originally Posted by Art Newland

I'm going to move on to the rear brakes for now, would be nice to have a little progress. Trying to remove the rear radius rods now. The nut came off reasonably but the bolt won't budge.

I used a 1/2" air impact wrench to remove mine. Do you have the rear of the radius rods loose? Maybe one is binding. I wired mine to the running board bracket.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Art Newland]

The rear brakes and backing plates are still off, so nothing holding radius rods at the back. PB blaster currently working its magic. Would make installing the rears a lot easier if they were out of the way.

[RonC]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

Good luck trying to get any money from the post office. With all the things they broke of mine, I have never been able to collect a dime. After spending hours filling our forms, etc. I don't even waste my time with them anymore.

I use UPS and FedEx insured.

[Brian T]

Hello Art,
I believe your shoes were arced OK, I think what you have is a shoe that was bent deliberately at some time in its life changing the arc to fit a worn drum, ask me how I know, I hand arced my shoes, and found on 1 shoe that both ends were thinner than the middle, this also changes its pivot points so both shoes do not adjust equally.
I do believe that Mr Williams or Buster will chime in on this one, I am sure that's where I learned it from.

[Ian Curtis]

Originally Posted by Art Newland

The rear brakes and backing plates are still off, so nothing holding radius rods at the back. PB blaster currently working its magic. Would make installing the rears a lot easier if they were out of the way.

FYI, getting the radius rods & the assembled rear backing plates back on at the same time is a serious exercise in 3 dimensional geometry. It may be helpful to have a second pair of hands, and some rags to avoid mucking up the new paint. It is possible!

I had a similar issue getting the locking pins out for the front brakes, of course when someone else came to help out they'd been soaking in PB Blaster for a week and flew right out.

[Art Newland]

Originally Posted by Brian T

Hello Art,
I believe your shoes were arced OK, I think what you have is a shoe that was bent deliberately at some time in its life changing the arc to fit a worn drum, ask me how I know, I hand arced my shoes, and found on 1 shoe that both ends were thinner than the middle, this also changes its pivot points so both shoes do not adjust equally.
I do believe that Mr Williams or Buster will chime in on this one, I am sure that's where I learned it from.

That makes sense, who knows where these 85-90 year old parts have been and what's been done to them. I don't know how Randy arcs his shoes, but I suppose there could be a benefit to arcing them on the car like this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iHlBFw5UfA

[Art Newland]

Originally Posted by Ian Curtis

FYI, getting the radius rods & the assembled rear backing plates back on at the same time is a serious exercise in 3 dimensional geometry. It may be helpful to have a second pair of hands, and some rags to avoid mucking up the new paint. It is possible!

I had a similar issue getting the locking pins out for the front brakes, of course when someone else came to help out they'd been soaking in PB Blaster for a week and flew right out.

Well lets see Ian, looks like you could be here in about a half hour?

I was able to slip the rear assemblys out pretty easily after removing the emergency lever and lifting the radius rods a little, but they come from Randy all assembled so would like to put them back that way. I have the radius rod removed on one side now, the bolt at the torque tube still won't budge. PB Blaster is dripping all kids of nasty-rusty looking goo. The threads were not in good shape either so it needs replaced. PB... whack on it... rinse and repete, resistance is futile.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by updraught

As far as I can figure, if you use Flathead Ted's delux kit no building up of the backing plates is required. I got most things except the backing plates and both sides fitted in one of those boxes.

I just installed a Flathead Ted's kit (that I won at the OC Pancake Breakfast, Yeah!). Even with the deluxe kit I found it is better to have the Rear Brake Roller Track flat and within spec. On the front it doesn't matter because the Front Roller Track is no longer used.

[updraught]

I've yet to order the deluxe kit from NZ. For those that are interested, these pins are supposed to be turned to lift or lower the rear shoes, from what I gather.

[Art Newland]

Yahoo! I've managed to turn the torque-tube / radius rods bolt two full turns today! With a 2 ton floor jack pushing on a 1/2 inch breaker bar! Can't turn it by hand yet, but it won't be long now.

Randy is sending me a couple new brake shoes, probably only need one. He did offer to build me up another backing plate ass'y, but I don't think that's necessary.

[Y-Blockhead]

Originally Posted by updraught

I've yet to order the deluxe kit from NZ. For those that are interested, these pins are supposed to be turned to lift or lower the rear shoes, from what I gather.

That is correct. They are used to center the shoes. But they still ride on the Roller Track (rear only). If your tracks are worn excessively I would restore them. It doesn't take much to run a weld bead along the track and grind it flat. The measurements are in Les Andrews' "Red Book".

Flathead Ted's kit works great but it is designed to be added to a good working stock braking system.

Sorry Art for the detour.