Break noise.
 

My brakes (1929 A) make an infernal squeal when I use them.

I am sure it must mean either an adjustment is needed OR I need new brakes.

Can any of you guys offer up some info as to how you get the brakes to quiet down? Everyone in my home knows when I am coming in long before I get inside the house they are so loud.

If it's an adjustment, can anyone link me to a video, or manual or give a good description please.

Cheers

Re: Break noise.
 

Try taking some sand paper to the shoes and drums. Also make sure the shoe ends are chamfered and it wouldn't hurt to do it slightly along the sides.

Re: Break noise.
 

What kind of material do you have and are your drums cast iron?

Re: Break noise.
 

How good does it stop? Do you need a lot of pedal force for itto stop properly? If so it could be that your brake shoes have become too hot at one point. As said in post #2 sand them and see if the noise changes.


You can also disconnect the linkages to see if only one drum squeals or if all of them are noisy.

Re: Break noise.
 

I will try all of these things.
I have no idea what my drums are made of, but I will find out.
It stops, I don't know what to compare to, if I compare it to my modern car I need a substantial pedal push, but it seems to stop OK given they are just mechanical breaks.

Is there anything special I need to know about taking the drums off?

Tks
Cheers

Re: Break noise.
 

If you can post pics of your brake shoes and drums, others here can tell if you have woven shoes or original steel drums on your car.

Re: Break noise.
 

Ok I will I can probably get to it over the weekend or so.

Is there anything special about pulling the drums? Is anything going to fall apart etc.?

Cheers

Re: Break noise.
 

Just loosen the main nut and pull the drum. The only thing that will come apart is the key on the axle. Other than that everything should be held together if nothings broken.


Don't shuffle the brake drums around, keep them on the wheel they are now. Meaning left front should stay left front etc..

Re: Break noise.
 

Be sure to back out the BRAKE adjustment wedges (on the outer side of the backing plates) counterclockwise a few turns before attempting to remove the drum, say 5 to 10 clicks consistently wheel to wheel so that you can easily return the adjustment back when reassembling the drums to the backing plate. Otherwise, if the shoes are a tight fit to begin with, you won't be able to pull the drums off.
You will need a dedicated hub puller to remove the rear brake drums. You may get lucky and they'll come off by prying between the drum's edge and the brake drum. But don't be too aggressive if you do pry because you might bend the backing plate.
Marshall

Re: Break noise.
 

Another thing. If the shoes are riveted, check that they are tight and the linings actually fit correctly to the shoes.

Re: Break noise.
 

Can you tell if it is all 4 brakes or just 1 or a couple?

Re: Break noise.
 

On one of my daily drivers the rear drum brakes where squealing like metal on metal, removed the drums and the shoes where good, inside had a lot of dust, cleaned the dust out and no more noise!

Re: Break noise.
 

Your car should stop within 25 feet at 20 mph. Here is how to test that: Pick a dry flat asphalt road where you can safely do your brake test. Drive at 20 mph and then stand on the brakes as hard as you can. The rear wheels should leave a black mark which you can use to measure the distance. It should be 25 feet or less and the car should not pull to one side or the other. If it does not pass this test then your brakes need some work and adjustment.

Re: Break noise.
 

25 feet from 20 mph! That's interesting. Our club held a series of workshops a while ago and on the day we covered the brakes, we had an accelerometer which was clamped to the running board. Everybody tested their brakes and some were amazed at how poor theirs were compared to others. We wouldn't let one guy drive home without doing as much as we could for them. He has since rebuilt the brakes and can't believe how enjoyable it is to drive a car that can stop - very comforting!
BTW, My car stopped in 19 feet but I have made further improvements since but I haven't changed the original steel drums on the back.

Re: Break noise.
 

cavalierhome

Read Les Andrews book section on brakes. Some good hints when you get started on the repairs. The drawings explain a lot and you can compare to what you have. You will need a hub and drum puller. Good Luck and look at this as part of the hobby.

Dan

Re: Break noise.
 

Since this discussion is about brakes, I find it appropriate to say

WHOA !!!!!!!!!!

While you folks all have good suggestions, it sounds to me like the author of the post may not be savvy on brake work, per se ........ and by asking how easy it is to remove drums, he is suggesting he's not at all familiar with Model A brakes. Again, I say WHOA !!!!!!

Before ripping everything apart, it is not unheard of for squeals to come out of one brake housing (or more) that is not stopping quite as well as the others, The squeal can be from something as simple as brake dust that is making noise because the shoes on that particular brake are not pressing hard enough onto the drum to displace the dust while the others are stopping the car.

So, before ripping everything apart, I would suggest jacking up both front and rear axles, setting both axles down on sturdy jack stands, and asking another person to sit in the driver's seat. Once your helper is firmly seated, have them step on the brake and hold it all the way down as if stopping the car. Now, author of this post, while your heper is holding the pedal firmly down, walk around to each tire and attempt to rotate it. Some may be in full locked braking position while others may turn freely ........ or with some drag. If the brakes are set up as per original Model A specs, both rear brakes should be "locked up" and will not turn and both front brakes might be locked up or should turn with a good amount of resistance. The resistance should be equal from one side of the car to the other. If there is variance in this outcome for one or more wheels, it's time to brush up on correct Model A brake adjustment procedures. This is not always as easy to comprehend as "ABC" so time should be spent in studying the procedure as well as going through the process systematically. As posted elsewhere in this thread, Les Andrews Model A Manual is a great source of information about this.

If a good brake adjustment doesn't cure the noise (or if any part of the procedure does not work as suggested to adjust each wheel) ................ THEN further disassembly and exploration ........... and following all the solutions offered here by others is the next step.

This is just my opinion after several years of experience diagnosing and rebuilding many Model A brake systems. Your experiences and results may vary.

Good Luck, Bob Bader

Re: Break noise.
 

No but it seems to be from the front.

Re: Break noise.
 

I can easily make the breaks lockup, but if I stomp on them really hard I do get a pulling to the left.

Re: Break noise.
 

Thank you for that, I will give that a try first. I am curious as to how good the pads are, because I have never had them looked at since I got the car.

Cheers

Re: Break noise.
 

Check your right side then.
I adjusted mine (without changing shoes or drums) and the brakes don't pull to either side, even when braking hard.