Model T emergency brake drums

[Brian King]

Hello Model T enthusiasts. I have a '22 two door sedan and just finished going through the rear end start to finish. Everything changed EXCEPT for the drums. Now with it all back together, the e-brake gets close but doesn't quite fully engage the shoes against the drums. And I am using lined shoes.

People in the know tell me the drums almost never wear out (for obvious reasons). And due to whatever supply chain crisis we are/are not facing, no one is selling new drums.

Any tips for making do with what I have?
THANKS

[J Franklin]

Do you have the right dia. drums? And are your rods adjusted properly?

[Brian King]

Thanks for your reply. What I do know is that these drums worked since 1956 until it was parked 23 years ago. So I think I am good there.
As far as the rods....I think so. What catches my eye there is the arms seems to "flatten out" too soon when actuated. But there is only one way they can mount since they are pinned. Unless I have them reversed (on the wrong side)?

[redmodelt]

The levers when mounted should lean to the rear. There are left and right cams. When you say flatten out, almost sounds like you have things swapped around.

[J Franklin]

Originally Posted by Brian King

Thanks for your reply. What I do know is that these drums worked since 1956 until it was parked 23 years ago. So I think I am good there.

The drums worked with the old shoes. Are the new shoes smaller in diameter? The reason I was asking is because maybe the drums are off a later year and larger than the ones that were on your car from the factory. If so that would explain things. Measure and don't make assumptions.

[Brian King]

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Thank you all for the feedback. I note that my levers lean forward, so that right there is one clue something is off. I'll fiddle with them tomorrow after work first, then pursue the possible shoe-size measurements being off. THANKS

I'll post my findings this weekend.

[redmodelt]

I think once you get the levers sorted out, things might fall into place. If they don't the cams may be worn.

[Brian King]

Update: Jacked up the rear end yesterday but discovered the T uses a special puller to remove the rear wheels. Don't have one...no one I know local does...so back to Lang's and another online order. BUT, removed the levers and they are interchangeable. If the levers pointed down instead of up they would lean back in the "relaxed" setting, but I believe up is the way they were intended, and the e-brake rod shape supports that. So my next theory is once I have the wheels off, could the cams themselves be switched? Maybe that would allow the levers to mount at the right angle(?)
And removing the wheels would allow me to verify the shoe vs. drum size as mentioned earlier by J Franklin.
Stay tuned....