Brake rods on an early 28 sedan

[scar]

I bought new rods for the front as my originals were looking pretty worn.
The originals had been extended by about 1 1/4 inches.
I set the new ones at 51 7/16 like the book says but they wouldn't connect to the actuating arm. I backed the adjusting wedge off as far it will let me so I could connect the rod. That puts the arm straight up instead of the 15º forward and the wheel is still dragging slightly.
I read the Mechanics Handbook, but I'm still not sure what I need to do to fix the problem.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Do you have the seperate rear parking brake with the brake handle in front of the shift lever? Do you also have the dogbone and split brake linkage that was used until November 1928? This brake system used brake rods with an eye at each end, and were non adjustable. Off hand I don't know the eye to eye measurement for them, but I bought a set from Bert's about 10 years ago.

[Marco Tahtaras]

Do you have a copy of the Service Bulletins? There is a bunch of good info on the earlier systems. It sounds like you have the equalizer system. In either case it's likely the pedal to cross shaft rod is way out of adjustment. How about the rear rods? Have they been modified as well?

If you have the equalizer (two-piece cross shaft), the brackets that support them below the frame rails allow for minor fore/aft movement. They should be centered in the brackets when the brakes are relaxed. If someone adjusted the rear rods too tight then they will move rearward contributing to your problem to some extent.

[scar]

My E-brake handle is over by the driver side door.
It has the a different set up as most other Model A's have.
Where most linkage curves up and over the trans., mine are
two short rods that are held by the transmission and the bracket
on the frame.
The rods that I'm replacing had about an 1 1/4 added onto the end of
the rod. It had the screw on eyelet, but who knows if that's the way it
was supposed to be. It probably did have eyes on each end at one time.
It could have worn down and somebody modified it so it would work. I've
read where someone else had bought some rods from Berts. I'm going to
call them and see if there is a difference between the early 28's and later
models.

[scar]

Marco, I don't have any service bulletins for the car.
I think the back rods have been modified as well. The car's bracket is
made for an eye to fit into. Someone has used a brake rod with threads
on it and put a fork on the end. So the bracket on the car and the rod end
are both forks. They put one side of the fork into the center of the fork on
the car's bracket and wired it in. Definitely a shadetree design.
I've never heard it called the equalizer system, but it sounds like that's what
this car has. It's a March 1928 car. The cross shaft looks to be centered. There
is no bushing there, so I could see where it could move around a little. I'm thinking that the brake rods on the early cars and the ones after June must be
different.

[Tom Wesenberg]

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Yes, the early and later rods are different. You'd do yourself a favor to order a set of the SERVICE BULLETINS. The changes are well spelled out in words and pictures. 37340 is Bratton's part number, and they are $16.50 in my 2014 Bratton's catalog.

[Marco Tahtaras]

The brake rods were the same length all years. 51-1/2" from eye center to eye center should work or be extremely close. As I said before, sounds like the pedal rod is set wrong which could rotate the shafts away from the brakes rods requiring extra length as well reducing functional leverage.

If your car is that early then it indeed had an adjustable clevis (fork) instead of an eye on the front end of each rod but a fixed eye at the rear of each rod. If that does not work then some other parts have been swapped.

[1931 flamingo]

pictures, pictures, pictures.
Paul in CT

[scar]

The brake rods are definitely different than mid 28 and up. I was told that I should make sure the top and bottom forks on the cross shaft were straight up and down. (12 and 6 o'clock) So, I spent all day adjusting everything to get the forks straight up and down. It was all for nothing because when the brake rod connections are vertical, the fork on the shaft that is worked by the pedal doesn't mate up with the cross shaft making the pedal inactive. So, now I'm going to have to go undo everything i did today and start all over. Apparently, the on an early car, the brake rods were two different lengths???? rod.JPG

[mrtexas]

Checked the non adjustable brake rods on my early 28 with left side ebrake and they are 51 1/2. I'll be replacing them with adjustable ones.

[Marco Tahtaras]

Originally Posted by scar

The brake rods are definitely different than mid 28 and up. I was told that I should make sure the top and bottom forks on the cross shaft were straight up and down. (12 and 6 o'clock) So, I spent all day adjusting everything to get the forks straight up and down. It was all for nothing because when the brake rod connections are vertical, the fork on the shaft that is worked by the pedal doesn't mate up with the cross shaft making the pedal inactive. So, now I'm going to have to go undo everything i did today and start all over. Apparently, the on an early car, the brake rods were two different lengths???? Attachment 222179

No! reread what I said about brake rods. You could certainly save some time STARTING with reading what is in the Service Bulletins as previously noted as it would get you closer and hopefully enhance the ability to identify the finer details of what has and hasn't been done.

Sorry for the BIG a$$ pic below as it's the only pic I could find online of the current full size version of the Bulletins on the market today. It's a whopping $16.50 from Brattons (as Tom noted). I checked other top tier venders and didn't find the full size version.

Now, I'm not clear exactly what you have done or exactly what the failure was based on your description. While I've seen and heard a number of folks suggest setting the cross shaft in a specific position (as you described), it is misleading and entirely unhelpful as it is QUICKLY set properly by adjusting the pedal to cross shaft rod as described in the Bulletins. At that point you know you are correct and and can continue to actually diagnose the problems that remain. If you choose to continue on another path, then you will be compensating in a similar manner as a previous owner of your car did which caused the problems you are attempting to correct.

[scar]

I plan on buying a set of the service bulletins the next time I place on order for parts. Brattons, like everyone else, charges around $12 for shipping whether you buy a big box full of stuff or an envelop.
Thanks for checking MrTexas. I'm not sure what someone has done to this car to get it so much out of whack. I just wonder if someone has taken off the cross shaft and put it back on backwards.
MrTexas, is your cross shaft vertical?
When you look under the car, is the top section of the cross shaft (the rod that runs over the top of the transmisson) pointing toward the front of the car, or is it pointing toward the back?
Mine is pointing toward the back.

[scar]

I believe I have found the problem. Looks like someone, a very long time ago, took off the cross shaft and then put it on backwards when they re-installed it.
The top of the cross shaft (the part that goes over the transmission and mates to the e'brake fork) should point toward the front of the car. Mine is pointing toward the rear of the car. Once they put the cross shaft on wrong and couldn't figure out why the front rods were too short, they welded about 3 inches onto the front rods. I haven't checked yet, but I bet they also cut down the rear rods a couple of inches.