Why is it that many of the A's which find their way here for service, have loose brake rod nuts? This seems nuts to me!!.png "tongue")
-
3~ Tudor's & 1~ Coupe
Henry Ford said,
"It's all nuts and bolts"
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
Mitch's Auto Service ctr -
I'm not being harsh, but most new Model A owners didn't or don't make their living using hand tools and lack experience in making things tight.
I suspect that is why the questions about torque specs for valve covers, oil pans, steering bolts etc., etc.
Explaining to someone what 'tight' feels like it is like explaining what pizza tastes like.
This is probably the best reason for a new guy to join a club and hopefully find a mentor to learn from.
$.02, JB -
Loose worn out threads? the rods do shake alot !Comment
-
We were working on a MGTC and almost every wood screw holding the doors and other parts were loose, including the windshield frame !! Perhaps modern cars have lured us in to a false sense of "no inspection / maintenance" security.Comment
-
They should have put that in the maintenance schedule... check brake rod jam nuts with a 1/2" wrench. Maybe rusty threads would help. I'll have to remember to grab my blue loctite when I get under there to grease later today, mine seem to be loose sometimes.Comment
-
Could it be related to chased threads?
The factory rods and nuts I am pretty sure use the tighter tolerance threads. If someone chases with normal taps then they make them loose. This might increase the chances of the nuts working loose.Comment
-
It is best to hold the clevis tight when tightning the jamb nut so everything stays lined up and the nut stays tight.Comment
-
Well the threads on these cars are not worn or chased to where they won't hold if locked to the clevis. The threaded rods have no play when screwed into the ends. I think it is just a mental mistake, basically forgotten about but why on so many cars? That many brain farts?3~ Tudor's & 1~ Coupe
Henry Ford said,
"It's all nuts and bolts"
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
Mitch's Auto Service ctrComment
-
You are lucky to have just loose nuts. Several of mine were just flat out not there at all.
I think that the reasoning for loose or missing nuts is that "what are they there for anyway?" It's not like the clevis is going to loosen on it's own once it is installed.
That being as it may, all my brake rods now have a clevis WITH lock nuts installed and properly tightened -
BRAIN FARTS/LAZINESS/IGNORANCE/ETC, abound & are EASY to spot!
Six point Tubing Wrenches work well for tightening the jamb nuts.Last edited by BILL WILLIAMSON; 11-14-2017, 11:32 AM.
-
-
Ya know Mitch, thinking about this logically, it makes sense that some or all are loose.
I mean, think about this, the poor guy that is setting up the brakes is up and down, and up and down, so many times adjusting here and adjusting there and around to the other side and by the time he has pedal and actual brakes, there is a wipe of the sweat from the brow and a deep sigh at finally getting the thrice damned thing stopping. So what does he do, well, he has the floorboard already back in or he couldn't easily drive it to know he now has brakes, throws the rug or rubber mat in the car, flops down in his easy chair, pops another tab and takes a looooooong pull of that cold brew and passes out. Now, he wakes up and with another sigh of relief, remembers he has brakes, and with a grin on his face gets in and drives a few miles with that wiiiiide grin and when he parks it after that last test drive the smile is still so wide his tonsils are showing and with it now parked and the gas shut off he goes inside and announces it to the family they can finally go for that long awaited drive and plops down at the dinner table and eats.
The need to return under the car and tighten all those jam nuts never enters his mind, numb with relief.You wana look waaay far up da road and plan yer route because the brakes are far more of a suggestion than a command!Comment
-
Well that was an excellent bit of pontification!! You should write stories for a living!.png "smile")
Comment
-
I have noticed that the nuts and bolts on a lot of the model A,s are tighten the right amount. I think the ones working on these cars just do not know. A lot of them are not mechanics. The rear axle nut comes to mind. Like the one the other day he said he tightened it then back it off to the first slot in the nut for the cotter key.
Of the 25 A,s that I have owned, never had a brake rod nut come loose. They just were not tight.Comment
-
Okay so I figured I would add onto this thread my next Peeve.
How come I see so many cars with the light switch installed upside down? The wires should come out the top side as the bottom side has that little drain hole. Apparently Henry knew the box would leak huh
The bail wire doesn't even fit properly when it's upside down but it does hold it
I had a vehicle come in today with both issues.. loose brake rod nuts and an upside down switch.3~ Tudor's & 1~ Coupe
Henry Ford said,
"It's all nuts and bolts"
"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."
Mitch's Auto Service ctrComment
-
Something has troubled me since I rebuilt my brakes.
Why are there Jam Nuts on the brake rods when both ends of the rods are captured by a clevis pin and cotter pin?
With Henry being so frugal, one would think he wouldn't need the expense of this nut. What am I missing?08-29-2017, 03:03 PM -
1. Why is that installed service brake rod laying on top of the emergency brake arm? It's that way on both sides.
2. Why is that shock linkage resting on top of the front spring? It too is that way on both sides.
Could #2 be because the engine is not installed
P.S. I know the cotter/clevis pins are not correctly/all installed.You do not have permission to view this gallery.
This gallery has 2 photos.04-19-2019, 04:20 PM -
I have been sitting here pondering the need for castellated nuts and cotter pins.
I understand Henry was thinking, "damn thing needs a bolt and nut, but does it need a split washer or cotter pin?"
I hear him saying that the cotter pin was cheaper than a split washer. There is no doubt in my mind he went with the cheapest of the options.
Now, today with...06-01-2017, 03:23 PM -
For you real mechanics. Why are we still using 90 year old connecting rods with stretched integral bolts? Inquiring minds want to know. Just looks like someone (maybe TOD) could come up with a connecting rod and use new hi quality nuts/bolts and still use babbit....02-11-2019, 08:35 AM -
I have been working on my 28 Tudor for a while, trying to fix big problems first. Just put in a new engine. When I put the distributor on and connected the spark control rod, I noticed that I could not raise the spark lever to the top of its range. It had always been that way but I ignored it. I little investigation showed that the bottom plate on the distributor was as retarded as it would go, being...06-15-2019, 09:37 AM -
I’m taking a minute or two break from working on my third Model A. The first was a refurbishment of a AA, the next two, within the last five years, have been ground up restorations. One of my frustrations lay with bolts that are too short. Two examples are body to frame and headlight bar to fender bolts. Given these bolts are reproductions, the facts that 90 year old parts and yes, other repos are...04-01-2020, 11:02 AM -
From time to time a discussion of Henry not having torque specs arises.
At some later point, engineers derived torque values based on the diameter and grade of the bolts/nuts.
While the current grading system was not in use in Henry's day, IMO his fasteners were at least grade 5. Else, we would not be able to re-use so many bolts, think of the FW mounting bolts and the FW housing...10-25-2018, 10:28 PM -
Guys, I decided to put this in its own thread for other newbies like myself instead of under the "What did you do today" thread. I also tried to add strong search arguments. I apologize for the length.
Last Saturday I was privileged to ride in a club member's 30 coupe. It is a 25 year old full restoration. It still looks good, runs sweet and oh so quiet. I was stunned, STUNNED....07-21-2021, 12:42 PM -
I must be missing something here...I have assembled the 7-tooth steering column to the frame with original bolts that is called for in the Parts Price List.
However when tightening the castelated nuts up to secure the column, the top of the nuts are almost past the the cotter key hole. I would of thought that Ford would of made these nuts spot-on to key the nut so as it would not come...02-11-2021, 12:55 AM -
My Town Sedan did not have engine pans when I purchased it. I have read on this forum that it is desirable to have them since they were part of the original design. I purchased a pair of powder coated ones and need some guidance on how to get them installed. On the advise of our local club's technical advisor I have dropped the oil pan while changing the oil for the first time. I thought this...04-29-2020, 07:33 AM
Comment