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Old 02-02-2012, 07:37 AM   #1
Wick
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Default old Brake Floaters

over the weekend I rebuilt the front brakes on the Phaeton,i swapped out 1 backing plate.What I found in my parts supply were 2 backing plates with old brake floaters. Are they worth my time to put them on?

Another question, I saw a old old artical on grooving brake shoes.
(Back in the kart racing days I would cut grooves in the clutch shoes,what a difference that made.)
Has anybody tried this? Im not planing on cutting mine,but I would like to know?
Thanks
Wick
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Old 02-02-2012, 09:10 AM   #2
Modelakid31
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

Are they the old style "equalizer" aftermarket?
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Old 02-02-2012, 09:42 AM   #3
Robert/Texas
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

About 20 years ago I rebuilt the brake system on 3 of my cars, an early '28 open pickup, a late '28 roadster and a '34 roadster. I used the then available floaters and woven lining which I had bonded to the shoes by a truck shop. I found it necessary to taper the leading edges of the linings a little to avoid grabbing. I have been very satisfied with the results and can easily lock up all 4 wheels at the speeds I drive the cars.
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Old 02-02-2012, 12:00 PM   #4
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

Years agoI had bonded linings...they worked fine for a time. I found out later that the linnings that I purchased were very hard to begin with. Because we were in the mode of raising two young children....new brake shoes were out of question. The hard shoes glazed over ans squeeled alot. One way to stop/reduce the noise was to wire brush the shoes at the beginning of the touring season as well as cutting a notch every inch or so across the shoe to give the shoe dust somewhere to go. This method bought us some time until we found a company that had some very soft linnings.
Bruce Davis [email protected]
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Old 02-02-2012, 12:20 PM   #5
Purdy Swoft
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

I have used the old style floaters on two of our cars and they are a good improvement over the original set up. Several parts are eliminated, such as brake rollers, roller pins, wedge assembly and the brake tracks are not used and don't have to be built up. It's all about leverage. Years ago these floaters were advertised to beat hydraulic and require 30% less pedal pressure. There have been reports that if used with worn drums and not properly adjusted, when the floaters pass the mid level , they lock up. I have never had a problem. Some use to place a bolt in place of the wedge stud and use a castle nut to make it look original, this is a bad practice. There is a snap in block of f plug that snaps in the hole where the wedge assy. was removed. If the lever goes past mid point and locks up, the snap in plug can be easily removed and a punch or screwdriver can be used to pry the levers back up and unlock the brakes. The operating pins will have to be shortened, I can't remember the exact length, but I'll look through my stuff and see if I can find this info and post it later. I always taper the lining on the leading and trailing ends of the shoes, almost all the way to the two rivets on each end. This setup self centers and self energizes. Before the purists start to hammer, No this setup is not necessary and it is not a bandaid. In my opinion this setup saves parts, work and money, they also give better brakes with less pedal pressure, because of the built in leverage factor.
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Old 02-05-2012, 01:40 PM   #6
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

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Sorry it has took so long. When I got back from checking my stuff, the sight was down, the next day, I was out of town. Here goes, my instructions say not to shorten the operating pin more than 5/16. It instructs to set it up with the left front brake lever leaning forward at the one oclock position and the right side at elevin oclock. I set them all up this way. It may be best to slip up on the operating pin length. In other words it may be best to see where the brake levers lean before removing the full 5/16s. After the operating pin has been shortened and fitted, you can shift the shoes side to side as necessary, by hand, so as to center the shoes enough to get the drums installed. With the drums in place, tighten the adjustment wedges until the brakes lock, then back off the adjustment untill the wheels will just turn, free. I hope this sheds some light, you probably already knew this, anyway. Just talking aftermarket model A.

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Old 02-05-2012, 03:36 PM   #7
BILL WILLIAMSON
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

You're right on, Purdy!
Shure-Stop-Equalizers were on my '30 when I got her, not too good, got instruction sheet from Sacramento Vintage, shortened the rods like you said, and they worked very well. Bill W's Ghost
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Old 02-05-2012, 04:45 PM   #8
Purdy Swoft
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

Thanks Ghost, Thats showing um. They may get rid of Bill, but the ghost is another story.
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Old 02-05-2012, 06:36 PM   #9
BILL WILLIAMSON
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

Quote:
Originally Posted by Purdy Swoft View Post
Thanks Ghost, Thats showing um. They may get rid of Bill, but the ghost is another story.
Purdy,
Watch out for the "GHOST," he's a testy one since he's been eatin' Vinegar Dumplings.
By the way, Chief likes you too. Bill W.
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Old 02-05-2012, 05:11 PM   #10
Keith True
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

Wick,Are you talking about the Y-link type floaters like Purdy's talking about,or what I call the pin type,which is really just a wedge retainer with a pin that lets the wedge float from side to side.I've found quite a few of the pin type in old axles over the years,I use them on everything.The Y link type seems to work nice if things aren't too worn.The problem with them is that by the time they were installed they were a band-aid because the brakes were so bad.I had to cut a hole in a backing plate once to unlock a wheel at a stop sign here in town.The guy backed up out of the way with one locked front wheel,and I took a set of torches down and freed him up.Somebody had put a carriage bolt in the empty hole with a castle nut on the back to look original.
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Old 02-05-2012, 07:13 PM   #11
Purdy Swoft
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

Thanks for the warning, Bill. Thats a good one about the vinegar dumplins . Purdy.
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Old 02-06-2012, 01:06 PM   #12
Wick
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

The floaters I have are not the wedge bolt pin type.
They look like mini shackles.
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Old 02-07-2012, 04:26 PM   #13
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Default Re: old Brake Floaters

Re making the outside look original instead of just a prise out plug... is there room inside to weld/braze a nut or a a half width nut with a few threads and get an original wedge bolt and have a few threads extension so it can screw into the hole so the outside appearance with castle nut and split pin is good, and it can be unscrewed if floater is jammed.
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