Angle of Brake Arms

[Beauford]

I found it is not the pin that is worn but the wollowed out arrowhead.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Beauford

I found it is not the pin that is worn but the wollowed out arrowhead.

The pin is essentially a straight push down on the wedge, so no wear should take place there.

[Beauford]

Just my personal experience when doing my brakes I bought new pins figuring they were toast like most of the car. I put old and new together and exact same length yet did not actuate the brakes. The wedge was in good shape on the outside but was worn where the pin pushes. Installed new wedges and solved the problem. Either way, weld up or pill up will solve the problem. In the end it's best to pony up. $)

[Mike V. Florida]

I'm glad I mentioned the 15 deg. and the slack, I would have hated to have read that you finished the job but the brakes won't work.

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Beauford

Just my personal experience when doing my brakes I bought new pins figuring they were toast like most of the car. I put old and new together and exact same length yet did not actuate the brakes. The wedge was in good shape on the outside but was worn where the pin pushes. Installed new wedges and solved the problem. Either way, weld up or pill up will solve the problem. In the end it's best to pony up. $)

I agree - just like the radius rod bolts will burrow their way thru the cast iron bell housing below the "locking pin" that slips thru the head. Spacers have to be made to sit under the bolt heads to raise them up to be able to engage the pin.

Just like any 2 parts that make contact their both worn out. Like kingpins and bushings, steering balls and cups, etc

[RawhideKid]

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Well, small update. Got all new backing plates, drums, and whatnot installed and kinda adjusted. Tomorrow I get all the rods installed.

With a light adjustment of the fronts the angle the arm starts to drag the brake is 19°, so tomorrow I will start at 15°and see what kind of pedal I get.

[Art Newland]

I don't remember where I found this, or who authored it, but it is a nice explaination of the process.

I've noticed posts about sticking brake pedals and poor brakes on other sites where I no longer post . If the brake rods are not set up correctly , the brakes will be poor even if all parts are new . Here is how I do mine . I first adjust the brake adjustment wedges at each wheel with the brake rods disconnected at the clevis end . I start by adjusting the wedges at the rear wheels . Because of the design of the rear wheel bearings and bearing races, wear will effect rear brake adjustment . In other words if the rear brakes are adjusted with the rear axle on stands the brakes will often be WAY TOO tight with the wheels on the road . I first adjust the rear wheel brakes with the wheels on the shop floor where the wheels support the weight of the car with all brake rods disconnected . It is important that the tires are fully inflated so that they can roll easily with less resistance . The average guy should have the strength to slightly roll the car by the back bumper , back and forth to feel the drag when the rear adjustment wedges are tightened . When the desired drag is obtained ,iback off the adjustment as needed . I then proceed to the front brake adjustment with the front axle on stands . If all is good the front brake levers should lean foward about fifteen degrees. Sometimes brake pills-shims may be needed at the front lower brake wedges to obtain the foward lean on the front brake levers . I then proceed to the service brake cross shaft and pedal set up .It has often been said that the levers on the cross shaft should point straight up and down . To acheive this adjustment the plunger end of the pedal rod , where it meets the brake light switch should be within 1/16 inch from the inner rear of the center crossmember on 30-31 models where the brake light switch attaches . The brake light switch mounts in a different place on 28-29 models but the plunger on the pedal shaft should have the same1/16 inch clearance between the plunger and the inner rear side of the center crossmember . I now proceed to adjust the clevis on the pedal rod so that the pedal will be at the top of its travel , now prop the pedal up in place . I then adjust the clevis at the end of the service brake rods so that the clevis pins will just penetrate through the brake rod clevices and the brake levers . The levers need to be pulled backwards on the front levers and foward on the rear levers to remove ALL slack when the clevice pins are installed . When the brake rods , brake pedal and service brake cross shaft is set up in this manner with all slack adjusted out , the brake lining will be ready to meet the drum with the slightest depression of the brake pedal for best brakes. The early 28s before separate emergency brakes were added were different . The early brake rods were not adjustable and were made to a specific length that doesn't apply to the later model A brakes .

[RawhideKid]

Thanks Art. How did yours turn out?

[SeaSlugs]

Originally Posted by Art Newland

I then proceed to the service brake cross shaft and pedal set up .It has often been said that the levers on the cross shaft should point straight up and down .

ive wondered this - if the front brake arms ideally should be locked pretty hard at straight up and down but free tilted 15* forward - shouldnt the cross shaft arms be the same? so when thier at straight up and down its maximum force applied to the brakes?

[Art Newland]

Originally Posted by RawhideKid

Thanks Art. How did yours turn out?

Been too busy! Our weather has turned incredibly nice so been catching up on on all the outdoor honey-dos. Should be soon however.

[Art Newland]

Originally Posted by SeaSlugs

ive wondered this - if the front brake arms ideally should be locked pretty hard at straight up and down but free tilted 15* forward - shouldnt the cross shaft arms be the same? so when thier at straight up and down its maximum force applied to the brakes?

I've thought the same thing. If you start straight up, as you pull on the rod, you exponentially move less and less. It does look however like if things are in good shape, the arms at each wheel doesn't need to move very far. The arms on my cross-shaft do tilt, but the wrong direction! My brakes are coming on very good but require about 2/3 of the pedal to do so. Once that's straightened out it should take a lot less pedal. My buddy Dick Steinkamp's Tudor has FHT's floaters, they take very little pedal pressure, they really do feel like power brakes. I may go that way yet.

[Art Newland]

Ok... I'm going to do it!

[SeaSlugs]

hopefully you get a jackstand under that thing :P

[Art Newland]

Yes, two jackstands... and the jack too. 4.5 hours of fiddling with pushrods, clevis', pins and cotters. The tricky part is the "remove all slack" part. Undoubtedly this is something that comes with experience. I'm calling this round two. It's quite a balancing act... get one too tight then the others can't pull far enough, etc. I drove to a gravel parking lot and did some skid testing, only the front right was locking up. I started backing that one off and then the right rear started locking up also. A couple of clicks on the adjusters on the left hand side got the left rear locking up also. I'll get some more miles on it and I think I'll try using the adjustment stick and get them evened up.

[1955cj5]

I use the adjustment stick, with all four off the ground. Then drive a little and check temps with an IR temp gun...and the skid test too....

It's tough to "remove all slack" if the anti-rattlers are putting pressure on the rear brake rods..

The whole thing is a balancing act.....you will get it.....

[RawhideKid]

Well, finished the adjusting to roll, drove it around the block to make sure hard stop doesn't pull. Now, after driving around with minimal stops, temps run from 94° to 105°. So, with the wide tiers it won't lock up on pavement, but it stops waaaaay shorter than before.

Feels like it could be a 50mph car, no longer a 35mph car.

[SeaSlugs]

First few hundred miles you may need to adjust the adjusters every few hundred till the shoes make 100% contact and break in and it should get better.