Emergency brake ?
 

Hey, Group,
My E brake will not hold my '30 Town Sedan on a grade. I can pull the handle back three notches but it's just not enough to hold the car. The Les Andrews book really doesn't address this and the Service Bulletins book tells to run the rod through a hole in the center cross member and attach it to an additional hole in the cross shaft. I don't see an additional hole in the cross member or the lever. I know there is not a lot of adjustment and my E brake linings are still good - no wear. Do the rods need to be shortened?
What are your suggestions?
Marty

Re: Emergency brake ?
 

Are you out of adjustment on the e brake clevises?

Re: Emergency brake ?
 

No, Ryan, I don't think I am but I can't pull the handle back any further. I figured that when I said the brake won't hold at three clicks someone would tell me to pull it back four clicks. Can the clevises be adjusted?
Marty

Re: Emergency brake ?
 

They can, I had to adjust mine when I installed new cast drums. The rods to the drums have an adjustable clevis just like the service brake rods. Mine were adjustable at the E brake cross shaft end. Pop them off the cross shaft, back off the jam nut and tighten the clevises a bit. Hopefully yours aren't frozen up, mine took some persuasion.

Re: Emergency brake ?
 

Ryan,
Well, as soon as I got your response I went out to the garage and did my adjustments. I turned one clevis one fill turn and the other clevis one and a half turns. I think I can now park on a hill!! I've had this car many years, but I've always heard that You can't adjust the E brake. I guess I just needed some moral support. Lord knows "I got no morals."
Thanks for your help.
Marty

Re: Emergency brake ?
 

Great! Glad I could help! I'm putting the rear end back in my A this evening, gonna need all the moral support I can get :D

Re: Emergency brake ?
 

Your job can be a tough one. I wish I could be there to help. Good Luck.
Marty

Re: Emergency brake ?
 

Honestly, it wasn't a terrible job. I used a trolley jack under the banjo and under the torque tube where the radius rods attach. Jacked up the front jack to match the height of the u joint and pushed the jack under the banjo forward until the drive shaft was in the splines of the U joint. Once it was all aligned, went to push it home and couldn't... took a couple trips back and forth under the car to realize the top of the banjo was hitting the spring spreader... Dropped the axle a couple inches, gave it a push and it went right together.