Hoarding junk parts.

[T Scott]

Seems to me I paid somewhere around $1200 to get four LaSalle drums relined and four sets of semi metalic brake linings. The shoes were arched and matched to respective drums. This was four years ago so I'm sure things have changed.
Incidentally, if you completely rebuild your Model A brakes and change at least the front drums to cast iron you will have a satisfactory working system. I have been driving my Model A for twenty-two years with mechanical brakes and I am still amazed at how well they work. But again, absolutely no worn parts and everything properly adjusted.

[T Scott]

Seems to me I paid somewhere around $1200 to get four LaSalle drums relined and four sets of semi metalic brake linings. The shoes were arched and matched to respective drums. This was four years ago so I'm sure things have changed.
Incidentally, if you completely rebuild your Model A brakes and change at least the front drums to cast iron you will have a satisfactory working system. I have been driving my Model A for twenty-two years with mechanical brakes and I am still amazed at how well they work. But again, absolutely no worn parts and everything properly adjusted.

[cas3]

Yes, I too have always felt that Model A brakes were adequate when all up to snuff. When I bought this car I did king pins and all the brake bushings and rollers, but it had new hard lining shoes in it already and I left them there being cheap. They never have been as good as my other A with correct woven lining. I thought since I have all the 35 parts I would do the upgrade. We'll see after tomorrow when I take my 2 questionable drums to town and have them turned, and see whats left of them !

[T Scott]

Seems to me I paid somewhere around $1200 to get four LaSalle drums relined and four sets of semi metalic brake linings. The shoes were arched and matched to respective drums. This was four years ago so I'm sure things have changed.
Incidentally, if you completely rebuild your Model A brakes and change at least the front drums to cast iron you will have a satisfactory working system. I have been driving my Model A for twenty-two years with mechanical brakes and I am still amazed at how well they work. But again, absolutely no worn parts and everything properly adjusted.

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by cas3

Well, sorry if my driving habits have made anyone irritable, I better not tell the story of driving a 1946 White semi tractor home from mankato (30 miles) with no brakes at all ! The cows were all on the right side of the fence that day, so no injury's

I bet I could match that story with mine about navigating the Oakland hills (Skyline Blvd) in my ‘39 with parking brakes only. I never did it again, as that same night, I lost a couple of friends over a cliff.
On your thoughts about woven shoes for all mechanicals, the cable brakes of 1937 proved to be superior, so Old Henry upgraded to molded shoes in mid ‘37.

[rich b]

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Be sure to tell the guy cutting your drums that you do not need every last groove or pit turned out of the drum. May make the difference in the drum being saved.

[Flathead Fever]

Originally Posted by cars2cool

How is that hoarding working out for you? My so called friends and a few select family members tell me I'm hoarding parts I'll never use. My question is how do they know? But seriously now, cutting corners and driving for 14 years without brakes just does not make any sense at all. Pry open the vault and visit the obsolete Ford vendors web sites and purchase the parts you need to fix it the correct way. In the long run you will be done quicker and money ahead. As I have been where your at right now and tried the exact same foolishness.

My wife claims I'm a hoarder, so I looked it up. What it said was, no matter how much stuff you have its not hoarding if it's neatly organized. Based on that I am currently classified as a "hoarder" but I'm working on getting it organized. I have a 10' wide by 70' long section in the garage with parts on pallet racks. There are parts laying all over the floor back there that I have to step over. I had to go down to the other end and my four-year-old grandson looked up, and then he said, "papa, how long will it take us to get there". That's when I knew I was definitely a hoarder.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by rich b

Be sure to tell the guy cutting your drums that you do not need every last groove or pit turned out of the drum. May make the difference in the drum being saved.

I’m in the same camp…. Just more braking surface. A guy could get the braking power of a 2 1/2” drum in a 2” drum. In 50 years of doing my own brakes i have never had a drum or rotor turned. I have bought new ones when it seemed necessary.

[Flathead]

Yeah we're all hoarders until somebody needs a part then suddenly you have a new best friend.

[cars2cool]

Originally Posted by cas3

Well, sorry if my driving habits have made anyone irritable, I better not tell the story of driving a 1946 White semi tractor home from mankato (30 miles) with no brakes at all ! The cows were all on the right side of the fence that day, so no injury's

Yup I do get irritable when people take unnecessary risks with my life or other peoples lives. All for what...money!

[T Scott]

Sorry about my triple post. I have no idea how I did that!

[sugarmaker]

cas,
OK Mankato just takes me right to Little House on the prarie show!
Anyway, yea your a horder like the rest of us. I feel bad some of my good used parts are setting out in the vast warehouse and may not be that good when I do need them!
Your project looks a lot like my things too. Maybe why you follow along with my stuff? Good to see your work and progress on your Model A brake project. After some time with this 32 truck I can appreciate the Model A machines much more.
I will try to pay better attenion to your thread.
Yes you could probably spend lots of money to buy all the correct stuff. But what fun would that be?
Regards,
Chris

[A bones]

I share the same instincts. However three wives, plus the devastation of divorce, has limited my wealth of resources. I wish that I still had some of the materials ( treasures ) that I had harbored in in the past.
It must be said though do not play around with drums that have been over-cut.
The message of too much cutting comes with a loss of control. The car will veer off path while trying to control speed. Expensive error.

Speaking of: How many Virginians does it take to change a light bulb?
Three, one to the swap the bulbs, and two to reminisce about how nice the old bulb was.

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by A bones

I share the same instincts. However three wives, plus the devastation of divorce, has limited my wealth of resources. I wish that I still had some of the materials ( treasures ) that I had harbored in in the past.
It must be said though do not play around with drums that have been over-cut.
The message of too much cutting comes with a loss of control. The car will veer off path while trying to control speed. Expensive error.

Speaking of: How many Virginians does it take to change a light bulb?
Three, one to the swap the bulbs, and two to reminisce about how nice the old bulb was.

Tom, I just gotta say that it's just me and the dog sitting here and I truly Laughed Out Loud. And not about the drums. Those Virginians would be right at home here on the Ragged 'Ol Backside of Orcas Island. "Remember back before the......."

[terry]

Doesn't one of our members have a motto that says "don't never get rid a Nuthin"? I'd sure like to hear him pipe in right now. terry

[cas3]

Time for an update. Not the grand finally, but an update.
My 2 "good " drums were turned at my parts store. Yeah, they have some dumb kids, but the main old guy who does the machine work is pretty good. They (he) does drums and disks, surface flywheels, and make hydraulic hoses. Lucky to still have a real parts store.

One drum I measured at .040, was so out of round he said he had to make about 20 cuts, I sez, yeah but the first 19 were free , right ? He gives me that tilted head, puppy dog look. ...So, that drum went to 100, and still had some pitting, he knew to not cut it to death and quit once it made a full cut from being so out of round. That drum had shoes stuck in there for decades of the swamp humidity here, we guess that the shoes and rust expanded and pushed the drum out of round over time. Other theory's welcome !

Drum 2 turned OK at only .060, so goody goody, BUT! the outer race can be pushed in by hand. It does not look like it has spun in the bore, but not as snug as it should be.
Not happy, but I opted to use red locktite and call er good. Now, 24 hours later, the excess locktite I wiped off with a paper towel is still wet. No "dry time" at the company website, thinking now I should have used JB weld.

I have one more 35 axle to check for drums, but its down in my junk yard 1/4 mile away and snow up to your knees. Next spring maybe ?

So, lets put one side together while waiting for the locktite.

The main reason I got started on this project was I was given all the brakes off a "restored" chassis. I was tickled when I got it, throw it in the barn for later. Now, I want to use it, everything is all painted, new shoes, new cotter pins on the rollers, all clean, restored right?
1st shoe I look at has a big flat spot on a roller, and it wont turn. When I take it apart I see it wont turn because the shoe has been crimped too tight, like squeezed in a vise.
Dont want to wait for parts, go out to the barn and get the rear brakes from that chassis, and yeah, good rollers. Badly worn out pins too. For some reason, the parts on the rear brakes were very good. 3 out of 4 rollers were swapped out with the rears.
Keep in mind, these parts had been disassembled, relined, and all clean with new cotter pins, yet it would not have worked as designed.

Sadly, I know the man that did the work. He is an engineer by trade. I aint no durn injuneer, but I dont install bad parts on a frame up resto!

So, now one side ready to assemble, and something doesn't seem right. I thought this was a bolt on deal. It would have been if I used 32-34 stuff. But 35, with the bigger shoes also is the first year of a real seal instead of the tin dust cap used 28 to 34, so to make room for the seal, the spindle pushes the bearing out further. I should have remembered this as I have put later hydraulic Ford stuff on early fords, and there is a spacer required to put the inner bearing in location. Silly me. Most folks use a specific size valve seat for the spacer, as I did in the past, but this time I made one on the lathe.
Not hard like a valve seat, but the spindle is not hard either. Should be fine.

once I get side 2 together the next thing is of coarse the test drive. I stay out of the salt in winter, so stomping on the brakes on snow packed, really now Ice as we have had some rain mixed in, will not tell us much. More news after that. Wake up, I'm done rambling now !

[cas3]

Took the test drive but road conditions are bad here now. My gravel road was snow packed, then got rained on, now like a skating rink. The county came around and sprinkled chips on it, so drivable. Seems to have good brakes, but I could only test lock em up when crossing a paved road. Any way, got brakes, now to rebuild the A rear brakes next.

[PeteVS]

Originally Posted by T Scott

Sorry about my triple post. I have no idea how I did that!

I think that what happened was that your original post wound up going on the next page and you expected it to show at the bottom of the page you were on when you posted it. You didn't see it where you expected it to be so you typed it up again. Still didn't see it. Etc, etc, etc. I've had that happen to me.

[sidevalve8ba]

Speaking of: How many Virginians does it take to change a light bulb?
Three, one to the swap the bulbs, and two to reminisce about how nice the old bulb was.
__________________
Heeey! I resemble that remark!

[A bones]

Originally Posted by PeteVS

I think that what happened was that your original post wound up going on the next page and you expected it to show at the bottom of the page you were on when you posted it.
You didn't see it where you expected it to be so you typed it up again.
Still didn't see it. Etc, etc, etc. I've had that happen to me.

Yeah I sent I sent him a PM but we can all try this.
Just exit the forum, then click on Early V8 and you will see the thread at the top of the page, with your name shown at the top right of the thread listings.