01-03-2019, 04:58 PM
Ive just finally read this thread, mainly as ive noticed a few things over the last week having had all three of my roadworthy cars out.
Of the 3 cars here, the chummy has the best foot brakes. 1inch shoes with new linings. original pressed drums. uncoupled, so only rear retardation. It will easily lock the wheels on dry tarmac. I must mention that it is fitted with a custom solid (not tubular) cross shaft, and bearings off a coupled car that are much more rigid. At present the handbrake is rubbish, but I hope a week of it being parked with the handbrake hard on will provide the requisite stretch in the brand new cable allowing me to adjust it up a bit harder which is basically the problem. the handle goes to the stop, yet when off still binds a little.
my 1930 saloon with mk1 coupled brakes, a continuous cross shaft with the pedal acting on the drivers side, not the centre as the later ones.
Ive always suffered with the car pulling to on side, so set it up so that if I stand on my brakes it pulls square, rather than pulling square under light application and to the opposite side of the road on heavy application (this is a result of cross shaft flex). Having got it back on the road after 6 months or so in the garage, the brakes are nowhere near as good as the chummy, despite all 4 working, but then it is a bloody heavy car in comparison. The linings are now 15 years old, on 1 1/4 shoes and original drums. It will, with some heavy application lock the rears.
The 34 box saloon (which has nominally been on the road all the time) I have concluded has issues. Light braking is excellent, and even (it has the later external fixed shaft to take the pedal force to the centre of the shaft) but even trying to rip the steering wheel off the column will not lock any wheels. so you brake, slow down nicely, but feels like you cant make it stop, basically like driving my traction engine. I have to alter this asap I think. It has original rear brakes - so 1 1/4 shoes and original drums, with old (20years plus) linings. But a semi girling front axle with the cast drums. All the levers point the right way so I need to have a look see. They need improvement I think, particularly as this is the car the wife drives.
I did have a special built on a 37 chassis. Fibreglass body etc. It has semi girlings (cables) all round. Oddly the rear levers pointed upwards (but back). The brakes were that good, I nearly spat my father out of the passenger seat when he asked me to demonstrate them.
Of the 3 cars here, the chummy has the best foot brakes. 1inch shoes with new linings. original pressed drums. uncoupled, so only rear retardation. It will easily lock the wheels on dry tarmac. I must mention that it is fitted with a custom solid (not tubular) cross shaft, and bearings off a coupled car that are much more rigid. At present the handbrake is rubbish, but I hope a week of it being parked with the handbrake hard on will provide the requisite stretch in the brand new cable allowing me to adjust it up a bit harder which is basically the problem. the handle goes to the stop, yet when off still binds a little.
my 1930 saloon with mk1 coupled brakes, a continuous cross shaft with the pedal acting on the drivers side, not the centre as the later ones.
Ive always suffered with the car pulling to on side, so set it up so that if I stand on my brakes it pulls square, rather than pulling square under light application and to the opposite side of the road on heavy application (this is a result of cross shaft flex). Having got it back on the road after 6 months or so in the garage, the brakes are nowhere near as good as the chummy, despite all 4 working, but then it is a bloody heavy car in comparison. The linings are now 15 years old, on 1 1/4 shoes and original drums. It will, with some heavy application lock the rears.
The 34 box saloon (which has nominally been on the road all the time) I have concluded has issues. Light braking is excellent, and even (it has the later external fixed shaft to take the pedal force to the centre of the shaft) but even trying to rip the steering wheel off the column will not lock any wheels. so you brake, slow down nicely, but feels like you cant make it stop, basically like driving my traction engine. I have to alter this asap I think. It has original rear brakes - so 1 1/4 shoes and original drums, with old (20years plus) linings. But a semi girling front axle with the cast drums. All the levers point the right way so I need to have a look see. They need improvement I think, particularly as this is the car the wife drives.
I did have a special built on a 37 chassis. Fibreglass body etc. It has semi girlings (cables) all round. Oddly the rear levers pointed upwards (but back). The brakes were that good, I nearly spat my father out of the passenger seat when he asked me to demonstrate them.