My question is: How do you have your emergency brake setup if you have hydraulic brakes all around?
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all steel brother,from the pedal to the wheel..lose a brake rod on a mechanical system you still have 3 brakes,lose a brake line on a single circuit hydraulic system and your stepping on a plum..that being said,it depends on what youre using for backing plates,can you post a picture of the rear brake backing plate?You do not have permission to view this gallery.
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Do you know what year the brakes are from?Comment
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Right now I couldnt tell you that either. I would like to ask you a question though. Do you have any idea what it would cost for parts to bring a Model A back to mechanical brakes if it has none now? I am sure it would be a big task but I need to see if I could budget it instead of juice brakes. By the way you made some good points in your last comment. Thanks HughComment
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On the high end,done professionally, it can cost upwards of 1500 bucks..for complete brake backing plates and drums,rods and return springs are more,add about 250.00...that being said,if you are handy and like the hunt,good used backing plates,relining your own shoes doing all the little things like building up roller tracks and centering the shoes that 1500 dollar number comes way down,find a used decent set some hotrodder is stripping off a chassis,add a few bucks and your golden..to me thats the fun part,the parts hustleComment
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I might know someone who went to juice brakes and migh be selling his old brake system. But he is in Ohio and I am in Florida. I would have to pay for shipping also. HughComment
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Cheap shipping is available...greyhound bus NBO is good and cheap...Ive heard fastenal interstore is good as well but I've never used them..have him send some pictures post them up here...that way youll know what your gettingComment
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I will try to get a hold of him.Comment
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guy is in Georgia..he's asking 800 for the chassis...worth a lookLast edited by CM2; 02-15-2018, 10:50 PM.Comment
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Hugh, did you used to be from the Houston area? DaveComment
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No, I grew up in Michigan and then went into the US Navy for 20-years and retired out of Key West Florida. Then became a Sheriff Deputy there for 13 years and then moved to Williston, a small town southwest of Gainesville Florida. I used to collect signs and old gas pumps, now I am into a Model A to give my building that vintage look.Comment
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I'm using the stock A e-brake handle on both of my cars equipped with hydraulic brakes with an after market cable set up. The last time I sold a mechanical set up it included the wheels and I got $1700. And that was at least 15 years ago. I'm still trying to determine what I'm doing wrong as I've yet to have a hydraulic brake failure on my A's after 25 years.Comment
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My car came to me with hydraulic brakes, but the e-brake job was done rather poorly. I got the kit from Cling's in order to adapt the Model A system to the V8 system that the hydraulic brakes use. It cost $175, works great, and I have never had any issues with it. The kit bolts right into the frame and then connects up to the original emergency brake cross shaft.
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It's always good to use DOT 5 silicone base brake fluid in an antique car that gets used less.
Dot 5 absorbs less water3~ 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
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Question - can a car that currently has and has always had DOT3 fluid get dot 5 fluid put in? Or do you have to start "fresh" with new everything and flushed lines? I have a modern antique car that sits quite alot and I plan to do some major brake rework here this spring so wondering if i should upgrade to 5...Comment
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well its antique but no where near as a Model A. Its a 1980 Chevette. Has antique plates - drive it when its nice all summer long but hibernates in the winter.Comment
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Well, I am going with juice brakes on the hot rod. If you are anywhere close to me in OH you can have my mechanical parts I stripped off. Drums are steel and all rods were rusted. I didn't pay attention to the condition of the backing plates. The main brakes worked and were not locked up, Ebrake was locked up and someone had the rear bands stripped from the plates. I am not worried about losing a line for a while, running all stainless tubes, all hardware new, and rebuilding all the ebrake hardware.Comment
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Mechanical brakes faded away (see what I did) due to superior hydraulic brake efficiency and the compounding effect of Bernoulli's principal.Basically the fluid system flows faster under higher pressure,so the speed and force of the brake application has a better 'feel' than the mechanical brake.Perhaps the biggest issue with mechanicals came when the system wore,if not properly maintained a substantial loss in braking efficiency occurred.When a single or dual circuit hydraulic brake system wears this loss is compensated by the fact that the fluid dynamics dont change,the pedal effort remains basically the same for the requisite stopping efficiency.
There is no doubt hydraulic braking systems are superior from a manufacturing cost perspective as well as an operators perspective.Anachronistic Model A Ford fanatics will battle this point forever,citing the host of reasons that mechanicals are inferior stem back to a failure of the owner to improperly maintain his vehicle.I stand with them and Mr Ford,Don Quixote tilted at windmills,so can I.
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Thanks guys I like reading all the comments about the braking system. HughComment
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I have juice brakes from a 39 Ford on mine have emergency brake working. I will take some pics and post them tomorrow.You do not have permission to view this gallery.
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Yes, I put it in my 1949 Chevy 1 1/2 ton truck and my 1971 Scout 800B and it works fine. I always switch to DOT 5 in any car that I don't drive much.Originally posted by George Miller View PostComment
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They also faded away as cars got lower and more streamlined. Hard to have a mechanical brake system on a low car. I think the early brakes you still had to adjust them manually with a spoon right? When did self adjusters come about?Originally posted by CM2 View Post
Didnt ford or someone else have some goofy cable setup for brakes for like 2 years and was awful as cables stretch a huge amount?Comment
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I have juice brakes and have working emergency brake. I have 1939 Ford brakes on mine. I will take some pics tomorrow and post them.You do not have permission to view this gallery.
This gallery has 1 photos.Last edited by Fordmanm1931; 02-18-2018, 10:48 PM.Comment
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My install is on a 31 with brake handle on the right of shifter. The brakes are off a 39 Ford.
1st pic shows the brake handle connected to the rod that goes from brake handle to crossbar that was used for mechanical brakes.
2nd & 3rd pic shows rod connected to the crossbar. The rod is for Model A .
4th & 5th pic shows cable going from crossbar to brake backing plate. I had to make the piece to connect the cable to the crossbar.
6th pics show the brake with the cable connected.
Hope this helps.You do not have permission to view this gallery.
This gallery has 6 photos.Last edited by Fordmanm1931; 02-20-2018, 07:24 PM.Comment
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