Brake Cross Shaft Adjustment

[Ed Northrop]

The cross shaft actuating lever on my car has very little movement to wards the rear of the car. In Less Andrews book he saids make certain brake cross shaft is in the center of its travel. I am redoing my brakes and wondering should I be changing the postion of lever it is pretty much straight up and down.

Ed

[Ron in Quincy]

Straight up and down on the brake cross shaft levers is correct. The rod between the brake pedal and cross shaft makes this adjustment if its not correct.

The breaking action should work properly providing the brake cross shaft does not bottom out against the rear radius rods, when this occurs you are unable to move the brake rods any furthur. A frame sagging at the motor mounts can cause this condition; frankly I do not know is floater motor mounts could cause this condition as I have always used stock motor mounts and checked my frames for straightness during restoration process.

Ron

[Marco Tahtaras]

As Ron suggested it sounds like you have a bind that shouldn't be there. I'm not sure what "center of its travel" means. Folks tend to over complicate things.

I'm assuming you are talking about the solid type cross shaft on your '29 Roadster. If nobody has altered the pedal to cross shaft rod you will find it has an extension beyond the rear clevis pin measuring a little over an inch long. The rod is to be adjusted so when the pedal is up against it's stop that rod extension is 1/16" shy of touching the inside rear wall of the center cross member. That is the ONLY correct way to set the position of the cross shaft levers.

[Ed Northrop]

Thanks Ron and Marco I will set mine this way. My front brake levers can not be set at 15 degree in the forward postion the way my levers are now and have my starting break rod measurement 51 1/2 center to center of eyelets.

[Purdy Swoft]

I can't see a reason that the brake rod has to measure 51 1/2 center to center of eyelets. The brake rods are adjustable for a reason. The important thing is that the lever lean foward at about eleven oclock on the right side and one oclock on the left side . I would then adjust the brake rod clevis so that the brake rod clevis pin will just slip in place.

[Marco Tahtaras]

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Originally Posted by Purdy Swoft

I can't see a reason that the brake rod has to measure 51 1/2 center to center of eyelets. The brake rods are adjustable for a reason. The important thing is that the lever lean foward at about eleven oclock on the right side and one oclock on the left side . I would then adjust the brake rod clevis so that the brake rod clevis pin will just slip in place.

Absolutely! Someone posted a few years back that Les Andrews wrote they should be set at that length. I've not seen it but hope it's just a misinterpretation as that would be BAD info. That can only work with the early equalizer system and relatively new original parts at each of the four wheels.