Brake Service Cross Shaft Reviews

[Tiny]

I am rebuilding my Deluxe Coupes brakes and suspension this winter. I finished the front backing plates this weekend My new front wheel bearing should be here this week for the cast drums that sit waiting. King pins are new. I restored the front spring, Rearched the main leaf and tapered all the ends. I'm sure there's more but on to a question.

I plan to install a rebuilt brake service cross shaft. From what I have read I would be money ahead if I had it rebuilt by one of the vendors. Here lies the question.

Does anyone have any reviews on the different vendors and the job they do? There is quite a difference in prices
Brattons:
$91.20 not sandblasted
$110.00 sandblasted
Mike'sAFordable
$84.95 original style
$149.95 with grease zerks
Snyders:
$115.00
Bert's
$???
Not listed on the web site, I'll call at lunch. (Steve is usually my go to guy)

Thanks for the help fellas.
I'm hoping to have some safe brakes this spring.

[SteveB31]

Tiny,

We do not rebuild brake cross shafts. Not enough time in the day. We suggest the Snyders ones.

Steve @ Bert's

[Tiny]

Steve,
Thanks that saves me a dime.

Anyone else care to chime in?

[Doug in NJ]

You can possibly rebuild it yourself, if you have access to a press for
getting the levers off the ends.

I had no trouble doing mine:

http://31ford.dougbraun.com/All_Photos/IMG_5450
http://31ford.dougbraun.com/All_Photos/IMG_5527

But if the holes for the brake rod clevis pins have gotten enlarged, they might
need to be welded shut and re-drilled.

Doug

[Tiny]

Doug,
I do have a press, I might try it. Nothing is more satisfying than doing a job yourself.
I just noticed that the new Restorer will have an article on this. The table of contents is up on the web site.
If not I trust Steve's advice and I'll send it Snyder's

[RonC]

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Mac's Antique Autoparts sells the correct cross shaft bushings. Im not sure who else might carry them. The original Ford bushings should have woven inserts as Macs do. The woven insert design is to be used without lubrication due to the attraction of dirt.

[SwansEarlyFord]

Bratton's does a great job!

[37 Coupe]

Originally Posted by Tiny

I am rebuilding my Deluxe Coupes brakes and suspension this winter. I finished the front backing plates this weekend My new front wheel bearing should be here this week for the cast drums that sit waiting. King pins are new. I restored the front spring, Rearched the main leaf and tapered all the ends. I'm sure there's more but on to a question.

I plan to install a rebuilt brake service cross shaft. From what I have read I would be money ahead if I had it rebuilt by one of the vendors. Here lies the question.

Does anyone have any reviews on the different vendors and the job they do? There is quite a difference in prices
Brattons:
$91.20 not sandblasted
$110.00 sandblasted
Mike'sAFordable
$84.95 original style
$149.95 with grease zerks
Snyders:
$115.00
Bert's
$???
Not listed on the web site, I'll call at lunch. (Steve is usually my go to guy)

Thanks for the help fellas.
I'm hoping to have some safe brakes this spring.

So where or whick place of business did you go with and were you happy with the outcome? I wonder if Bratton's really do there own or send out to Snyders ?

[larrys40]

Good synopsis review of pricing . If you don’t want to or can’t those prices are a bargain.
It can be difficult to get the coins and levers off and more time involved than what you think.
I gave thec brake seminar at the Marc meet in Dearborn and I recommended if folks don’t so it then selves to opt to the Snyders or Brattons service. It can be an ugly job. Shafts need to be welded or turned, sleeves may need to be installed. And of course levers dealt with. Unfortunately most folks forget or choose not to restore it when doing brakes but it is essential to making the brakes right as well as the other components as well.
Larry shepard

[jwilliams81]

Randy Gross in CA will do them too. I had him do mine when he did all my brakes and drums. If I remember correctly, it was $75.

[Mel Gross]

We are $75.00 exchanged plus shipping.
Keep plenty in stock so there is no wasted time in rebuilding yours.

Randy Gross
[email protected]
714-292-8660

[7_Zero]

After numerous unsuccessful attempts at doing it myself I decided to send it out. I went with Mike’s as they remove the levers, weld up the shaft and turn it back to size. At the time I wanted to use the original style woven bushings, which Mike’s said they could install. Unfortunately after sending the service shaft and bushings to them, their machinist refused to use the woven bushings. It was a bit disappointing but since I had been on the fence about using woven vs bronze it was not the end of the world. I now have their shaft with bronze bushings but have yet to install it.

As far as I could tell, Snyder’s and Bratton’s install their repair kit with a steel sleeve to bring the shaft back to specs instead of welding it up. There is probably nothing wrong with this, but I felt that having it welded up would be a more permanent repair.

Arizona Model A also welds up the shaft but they leave the original levers on and use new split bushings. Again, not saying anything wrong with this, but would have made it impossible to use the woven bushings.

I did not know Randy did them as well, or I might have considered him during the process.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by larrys40

Good synopsis review of pricing . If you don’t want to or can’t those prices are a bargain.
It can be difficult to get the coins and levers off and more time involved than what you think.
I gave thec brake seminar at the Marc meet in Dearborn and I recommended if folks don’t so it then selves to opt to the Snyders or Brattons service. It can be an ugly job. Shafts need to be welded or turned, sleeves may need to be installed.And of course levers dealt with. Unfortunately most folks forget or choose not to restore it when doing brakes but it is essential to making the brakes right as well as the other components as well.
Larry shepard

Yes, most 'rebuilt' units I have seen do not have the holes in the 3 levers restored back to 0.376 to fit an original size pin. Kinda seems dumb to buy new brake rods and drill them for an oversized pin and it still be sloppy in the clevis.