Brake Buddy Adjustment

[Steve Rinaldo]

I am trying to get my "A" ready for the Glidden and thought I'd lube the bearings and adjust the brakes. Myself and another "A" friend inspected the parts and they all look great. All 4 clevises are set to 1/2 inch the shoes start to expand. I sett all four wheels to free wheel with no brake pedal. When I get to position3 both of brakes on the right side are still pretty free. I tighten them up as specified on the instructions. When I remove the Brake buddy the left side returns to freewheeling. The right side wheels are very tight and it takes 3 to 5 notches on the adjuster to free them up. This is repeatable.
Does anyone have ideas what to do or replace?
Thanks, Steve

[Patrick L.]

Dumb question, what's a brake buddy ? Is it an adjusting board with 1/2" increments that fits between seat and pedal ?

[SeaSlugs]

and do you have a 28 with a split system or solid brake cross shaft?

[Steve Rinaldo]

The brake buddy is a notched brake adjustment board the the suppliers sell.

The car is a 1930 Tudor.
Steve

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

A Brake Buddy makes good dry KINDLING!
Bill Awful

[2manycars]

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Bring on the marshmellows, Bill.

Bill Smores

[Patrick L.]

Oooooo, smores. Haven't had one in a long time. Now ya got me to thinkin.


But I still like a good ole wooden brake board. Gotta build the campfire with something else.


So, i don't know about Steve's problem. Doesn't make sense to me, so i guess I don't understand quite what he is saying.

I guess I adjust them differently. Make sure the vehicle is raised on the axles, not the frame. Make sure the arms are in correct position. [ about 15º]
Adjust the wedges to get the wheels to spin the way you want [very slight drag in a couple spots]. Adjust the rods with the board/pedal position to get the drag you want for pedal position. Wherever the pedal position is, the wheels on either side [ not front to rear] should have the same drag and I adjust the rods [not wedges] to get that.

[Marshall V. Daut]

I posted the following advice on the 16th in a different thread. It may also apply to you.
Marshall

"When turning the adjusting wedges, ensure that the wedge hasn't stopped on a fin. It should stop between the valleys of the serrations. If it stops on a fin, you'll get a false tight feeling, usually locked up. While turning the wrench, you'll hear the "click, click, click" and then feel a slight looseness between the clicks. That means the brake shoe adjusting shaft's tip is nestled between the fins where it belongs. Confirm this by wiggling the wrench back and forth. It should have some slack."

[johnbuckley]

duplicate post

[johnbuckley]

Originally Posted by Steve Rinaldo;1518051......[I

. the left side returns to freewheeling. The right side wheels are very tight and it takes 3 to 5 notches on the adjuster to free them up. This is repeatable. Does anyone have ideas what to do or replace?[/I]

.
Wear on the cross shaft bushings would be something to check.... I often go round two or three times trying to get them balanced.

[RonC]

The ford service bulletins explain how to setup and adjust the brakes

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Steve,

1. Appears you are like many of us who tell it like it is. From experience, if:

A. Your non-lubricated Model A mechanical brakes were formerly worked on where some parts may have been changed out with later reproduction parts for the past 80+ years; and,

B. You have not measured your newly installed brake shoes with a brake centering tool, and your individual brake shoes are not concentric, and;

C. Your inner diameters of all individual brake drums are NOT exactly alike, like Ford's originals; and

D. You try to follow "Ford's Original Service Bulletins" to the letter, with the same repeated "Myth" that requires "Equal Length Brake Rods" for Model A brakes ..... after they are worn .... just a humble suggestion:

E. Remove your floor boards, bow your head in prayer, and place your feet on the ground prior to stopping to help your improperly adjusted mechanical brakes to stop "in time" at the next stop sign.

2. By 1934, the Motors Handbook recognized that with slightly worn bushings, slightly worn brake rod clevises, slightly worn internal brake parts and especially no two (2) brake drum inner diameters exactly alike that it was necessary to not only adjust brake clevises, but to FIRST adjust brake rod lengths by taking up all movement slack in brake rods, and contrary to Ford's original new brake adjustment recommendations, adjust the Brake Rod Lengths as well as the clevises to compensate for even slightly worn brake parts.

3. Takes time to adjust both clevises and to also adjust the original never recommended brake rod lengths; but in doing so, like in 1934, you will immediately notice a difference in mechanical brake performance. (Ford mechanics and all mechanics back then knew to adjust brake rod lengths after parts were slightly worn.)

4. Brake Buddy is a great tool where a single person can quickly use it for achieving exact incremental brake depression dimensions in inches as recommended by Ford. It works very well to not only adjust individual brake clevises, but also to adjust individual brake rod lengths when the pedal is depressed to different depths.

Hope this helps you to achieve an important Model A Life Safety Feature .. to stop in time.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

I want ALL my brakes to apply at the SAME TIME---end of story--LOL
I gotta' STOP & go EAT!
Bill Stop

[H. L. Chauvin]

Steve,

Also, with one's precise Brake Buddy measurements at the brake pedal, one can adjust each individual wheel separately ..... to make your Model A:

Pull more from the rear,

Pull more from the front,

Turn rod ends & clevises and do what you want; or,

Make your Model A:

Swing to the left, swing to the right,

Even turn around 360 degrees,

And do the Hoola-Hoop all night !!!

Remember:

Adjusting "BOTh" Clevises "AND" Brake Rod Length puts the mechanic in Total Control.

[Steve Rinaldo]

Fellow "A"rs.
I took the 2 fronts completely again and hers what I found.
1. The wedge system was an assortment of parts. some stock some of that Flathead Teds kit. [I could never get that stuff to work right]. This was causing all kind of
problems. I have ordered all new original design stuff and I'm sure that will fix most of the issues.
2. The adjuster was pretty worn so a new one is on its way.
3. there was a lot of grease on the moving parts which had harden with age which didn't allow the parts to move easily. I was told by a model A expert you should only use oil on moving brake parts
I'll post what happens when it is back together and set up right.
Thanks for the help on this project, Steve

[H. L. Chauvin]

Steve,

Sounds just like a typical Model A Forum mentioned Amateur Restoration Project for Mechanical Brakes that many of us read about for the past (20) years.

Not much different from all of the Model A Forum mentioned Amateur Restoration Projects from individuals trying to rebuild engines that we heard about for the past 20 years; i.e., after only 300 miles, on their newly rebuilt engine, Babbitt is knocking and rings and pistons are so tight, the engine is burning up.

Always difficult to determine what one is getting when buying one's new Model A.

Many former Model A Forum question sometimes went like this :

I just bought a Model A and it has a knocking noise ........ WHAT IS IT? LOL

FWIW: I feel confident that with your "Can-Do" attitude, you will seek advice, ask intelligent questions, learn, and get it done correctly.

[Steve Rinaldo]

I got the "A" out today and the brakes worked fine. Here is what I did:

1. Replaced the Flathead Ted parts I kept with original new stuff.
2. Lubricated all the moving parts with anti-seize.
3. Installed all new adjuster parts.
4. I used the Brake Buddy to get a good starting point then drove the car until I had good brakes. with 2 identical rear skid marks. the fronts pull equally with no side pull and the car rolls free with no pull to either side.

So I guess the best advice from this adventure is, don't mix parts. Use the right lube. Replace parts that you think might not be in good condition. The Brake Buddy is a starting point and a road test while you make small adjustments will finish the job.
Lastly thanks for the help tour information made id easier. Steve

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

FORGET the Brake Buddy! You DON'T want the rear brakes locking up FIRST---THAT'S DANGEROUS!!!
Bill Safe