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Old 07-14-2017, 10:57 PM   #1
Bob from Northport
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Default Brake adjustment tool

Anyone used/tried the adjustment tool that Snyder's sells that looks like a big caulking gun.?? Goes to pedal and attached to the steering wheel to hold the pedal down. Hard to figure the adjustment.
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Old 07-14-2017, 11:17 PM   #2
Railcarmover
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

its called a 'brake stick'..you can rig one up easy peasy
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Old 07-15-2017, 06:51 AM   #3
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

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Originally Posted by Railcarmover View Post
its called a 'brake stick'..you can rig one up easy peasy
I'd like to see a diagram or at least dimensions. We have a workshop on brakes coming up soon in our club so it would be good to have.
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Old 07-15-2017, 07:40 AM   #4
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

It's easy to make one , use an old caulk gun , cut off the bottom part , weld on a conduit clamp ,[ or anything for a hook to go around the steering wheel ] , add a piece of rod to extend it to the length you want , and your good to go . Made one years ago , works great for checking taillight functions also .
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Old 07-15-2017, 07:57 AM   #5
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

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Originally Posted by davehc View Post
It's easy to make one , use an old caulk gun , cut off the bottom part , weld on a conduit clamp ,[ or anything for a hook to go around the steering wheel ] , add a piece of rod to extend it to the length you want , and your good to go . Made one years ago , works great for checking taillight functions also .
Nice!! I think I will barrow my bothers caulk gun, mine is way to nice to use.😁
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Old 07-15-2017, 08:30 AM   #6
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I'd like to see a diagram or at least dimensions. We have a workshop on brakes coming up soon in our club so it would be good to have.
Ingenuity comes with mechanical experience,some things just cant be taught.
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Old 07-15-2017, 08:53 AM   #7
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

Les Andrews book details how to make a brake board, used one for years very simple to make and use Bob
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Old 07-15-2017, 09:10 AM   #8
Bob from Northport
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

I have several brake adjustment boards in the shop. What I was asking is if anyone has used one like the photo above, what is the procedure for adjusting the brakes front and back?? I will be good for electrical checking brake lighting.
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Old 07-15-2017, 08:40 PM   #9
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

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I have several brake adjustment boards in the shop. What I was asking is if anyone has used one like the photo above, what is the procedure for adjusting the brakes front and back?? I will be good for electrical checking brake lighting.
Here is a pretty good you-tube video that explains the process:
Model A Brake video
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Old 07-15-2017, 09:51 PM   #10
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

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Originally Posted by Railcarmover View Post
Ingenuity comes with mechanical experience,some things just cant be taught.
Why reinvent the wheel???
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Old 07-15-2017, 10:17 PM   #11
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

I saw a brake board in a video. I haven't gotten to my brakes yet. but It looked too simple to improve on. take a piece of 1x4. Place board end against seat base. With the board standing on its 1in side apply brake pedal a bit. Mark it to cut a 1/2in notch an inch further another half inch notch and so on. Then you have a helper to press the brake. if thats not clear enough ill draw something up.
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Old 07-16-2017, 05:58 AM   #12
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

Make the board and then make it dual purpose for tightening rear axle nuts:

[IMG][/IMG]
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Old 07-16-2017, 10:19 AM   #13
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

Hi Bob,

FWIW: From past Model A experiences:

1. The yellow covered hardbound book offered by the Model A parts vendors entitled "Model A Ford Services Bulletins Complete", offers descriptions on how to adjust Model A mechanical brakes when new from the factory, and also, later after someone altered the brake rod lengths:

A. First, brake adjustment when new: When the car is new and everything is assembled with Ford's "newly" manufactured parts, all positioned very accurately to within thousandths of an inch, adjust brakes by maintaining "all" four (4) new brake rods at the "exact" same length and adjusting brakes "only" by turning the adjustment wedges at all four (4) wheels and "never, never, never, never ...... ever" adjust brakes by turning the brake rod clevises which alters the "exact" lengths of each "new" brake rod ........... because everything in the brake drums is new and perfect.

B. Secondly, brake adjustment after someone re-adjusted the brake rod lengths: Ford again reiterates "never" to adjust brake rod lengths by turning the brake rod clevises, (with all perfect mechanical brake parts), ......... "unless" ........ someone previously altered the brake rod lengths ....... then Ford describes how to adjust the brake rod lengths by turning the brake rod clevises because now it is most important to take up the Ford designed "free travel" on brake levers until the brake rod pin holes line up.

C. Later, in the mid 1930's, by the time Model A brake parts had become well worn, removed, and later misaligned and inaccurately set in place with new rivets, the mid-1930's mechanical manuals began recommending adjusting Model A mechanical brakes by "also" adjusting the clevises at each wheel "and" adjusting brake rod lengths.

D. If your Model A is perfect with all new Ford parts, and your brakes work perfectly as when they left the Ford factory, (like that claimed by many Forum members), please do not try to adjust the brake rod clevises and brake rod lengths ..... by doing so, you actually could die later by lightening and go straight to Hell because this is the most often preached type of Model A mortal sin; ....................

E. However, if your Model A is well worn after 80+ years, and has several inaccurately manufactured reproduction parts inside the drums which have been re-positioned and provided adjacent to a few well worn parts, (like most Model A's today), please do not hesitate to adjust the brakes by turning the four (4) adjustment wedges, and, in addition to turning the clevises to fine tune the lengths of the brake rods because your brake rod parts are no longer Ford perfect, and the exact position of said parts probably have be altered.

2. If you use the later mid-1930's Model A brake adjustment methods, where free travel distances in each drum may now vary, you can now adjust the brake rod lengths and have better adjusted brakes .......... plus avoid getting struct by lightening and going straight to Hell.

3. Actual internal mechanical free travel adjustment vs. felt internal mechanical free travel on Model A mechanical brake arms may vary slightly when witnessing comparing wheel drag vs. free turning Model A wheels for each wheel ..... sometimes it takes a bit more time and patience to achieve desired better Model A four (4) wheel brake equalization at each separate measured incremental step, (measured in inches), when depressing the brake pedal.

Hope this later mid-1930's recommended Model A brake adjustment method can help anyone in the future to have better adjusted Model A brake equalization, plus have a chance to avoid brutal lightening, and make it all the way to Heaven.

Last edited by H. L. Chauvin; 07-16-2017 at 10:37 AM. Reason: typo
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Old 07-16-2017, 10:50 AM   #14
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

I use a piece of flat iron when tightening axle nuts:
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Old 07-16-2017, 11:42 AM   #15
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

Post # 13: Chauvin, as usual, your "two pits" worth of ancient wisdom is a joy to read. I appreciate very much that you have put both time and energy into sharing both your insight and your help on a great many occasions, including this post.
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Old 07-16-2017, 01:03 PM   #16
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

If you adjust the brakes according to the service bulletins everything will be adjusted the way it is supposed to.Pushing and pulling on parts until the pins fit the way they tell you to will take out all the normal slop and wear.Adjusting your brakes to some arbitrary position of a board won't take any of that into consideration..005 here,.010 there,have that kind of slop in 20 places and the board becomes useless.I looked at a Fordor that the owner had lots of new parts in,and everything looked really good.He had almost no brakes.Lot of pedal,but not much stop.He used the board.His right front and left rear would lock,but the other two wheels would keep turning.He thought that board was the holy grail.We chased him out of the garage and adjusted his brakes correctly,the car stops on a dime.
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Old 07-16-2017, 02:36 PM   #17
H. L. Chauvin
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

Hi Bob,

In getting back to your asking about the Brake adjustment tool, if using Ford's Model A recommendations, on Ford's page 202, (indicated in the upper right of the January 1929 Ford Service Bulletin), further down in this bulletin's paragraphs 1., 2., and 3., Ford engineers recommended ......... for "Equalization" ..........

1. Depressing the brake pedal First, down one inch, (1"); and,

2. Second, one-half inch (1/2") further; and,

3. Third and final, another one-half inch, (1/2").

Appears they considered a specifically designed tool was not as important as being able to acquire these mechanically engineered pre-determined different mechanical brake adjusting measurements, which worked with their carefully engineered and designed fixed pedal radius provided in conjunction with different front and rear brake lever lengths.

Last edited by H. L. Chauvin; 07-16-2017 at 02:42 PM. Reason: typo
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Old 07-16-2017, 04:40 PM   #18
Keith True
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

That's what I mean about the board measurements.If you adjust according to the service bulletins those are the specs you should wind up with.If you don't come up with those measurements after adjusting then something is wrong.You either adjusted wrong or you have worn parts.The problem comes when people try to get those specs by adjusting.You don't "adjust in" the front/rear bias,that is already engineered into the geometry.If you have to adjust your brakes to attain that bias then you will have one end too tight and the other end too loose.
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Old 07-17-2017, 06:41 AM   #19
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith True View Post
That's what I mean about the board measurements.If you adjust according to the service bulletins those are the specs you should wind up with.If you don't come up with those measurements after adjusting then something is wrong.You either adjusted wrong or you have worn parts.The problem comes when people try to get those specs by adjusting.You don't "adjust in" the front/rear bias,that is already engineered into the geometry.If you have to adjust your brakes to attain that bias then you will have one end too tight and the other end too loose.
My most recent Model A purchase was from Arizona. The PO had the car serviced by the local Ford dealer (no names) who also "did" the brakes. They were dangerous! The back wheels locked very easily but the front ones did nothing. It had a great "pedal" but no stop. I moved the bias to the front wheels by adding cast iron drums tot he front only and installing the floating pin version of the wedge. I readjusted them to correct the dealer's lousy work and the car stops very well now.
Moral: adjusting the lengths of brake rods is not the way to change the front/back bias. I have done as above on 2 cars and the bias on both is very good. All 4 wheels lock at the same time - verified by the black marks on the road.
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Old 07-17-2017, 07:03 AM   #20
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Default Re: Brake adjustment tool

Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith True View Post
That's what I mean about the board measurements.If you adjust according to the service bulletins those are the specs you should wind up with.If you don't come up with those measurements after adjusting then something is wrong.You either adjusted wrong or you have worn parts.The problem comes when people try to get those specs by adjusting.You don't "adjust in" the front/rear bias,that is already engineered into the geometry.If you have to adjust your brakes to attain that bias then you will have one end too tight and the other end too loose.
What is meant by "the front/rear bias"? I have never heard that term and am curious. I pretty much use H. L. Chauvin's method. Thanks. Don/WI
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