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Converting front brakes to rods... - goodwoodweirdo - 17-08-2021
Hi chaps,
Has anyone converted their front brakes to rods, common place on other brands in period. Was thinking to swap and turn the leavers upside down... fabricate a bracket on the brake bar, down side might be catching on something when the suspension is in full travel.
Ps anyone off hand know the correct size of the engine mounting bolts ? Mine are metric ?
Cheers Matt
Sorry to add it’s a 1930 swb
RE: Converting front brakes to rods... - Austin in the Shed - 17-08-2021
Engine mount bolts were 3/8" bsf
RE: Converting front brakes to rods... - Chris KC - 17-08-2021
What do you perceive to be the advantage?
RE: Converting front brakes to rods... - Bob Culver - 17-08-2021
Why bother? Any spring in the cables is insignificant compared with front axle mounting generally. I have seen rods at rear with a swinging hinge where the direction changes but much the same applies. Cables were expensive and some practical impecunious souls could probably make up rods for less (I recall getting slugged 15s about 1960 to assemble, equivalent about L35 now.)
RE: Converting front brakes to rods... - Tony Press - 18-08-2021
Given the flexibility of the front suspension I would think that rods would be a disadvantage
RE: Converting front brakes to rods... - Parazine - 18-08-2021
You could go halfway and employ the system used on the Big 7; rod operated Girling "Cylinders" but the rods pulled by levers, in turn operated by the familiar front brake cable.
Not to say that that is efficient in any way.....
RE: Converting front brakes to rods... - Colin Morgan - 18-08-2021
The only time I have seen this was on the barn find Special LKL 513, which had a Chummy-era chassis - front and back were converted to rods. As asked above, what would be the advantage? One disadvantage would be the significant extra engineering involved to get them the right length, adjustable, and working freely. Whilst the rods that are used for very late Ruby brakes work well, they are fitted down the middle of the chassis with appropriate swivel points and directly actuate full Girling brakes.
RE: Converting front brakes to rods... - Chris KC - 18-08-2021
A multi-strand cable is also far less susceptible to sudden failure.
RE: Converting front brakes to rods... - AustinWood - 19-08-2021
Many years ago a neighbour at the end of the road where we lived in Cambridge bought a Swallow saloon. The back brakes had been converted to rods. I advised him to visit Ray Walker in Perowne Street who immediately refitted cables. With rods the brakes were coming on as the springs flexed.
RE: Converting front brakes to rods... - goodwoodweirdo - 19-08-2021
Thanks for all the comments.... I’m just curious why most of the contemporary manufacturers used rods... ok admittedly on heavier cars...
Must be a engineering reason to it... I’m guessing with all the chassis flex on a seven this being a big disadvantage vs a more robust platform.
I’ll keep you all posted if I ever find out..
Thanks Matt