Adapting a rear axle for Girling brakes

[Steve Jones]

If you're using MM hydraulic backplates you shouldn't have to take off as much metal as I've done for the Girling backplates but, as Ruiradh says, you do need to form the straight sides. . Mine were converted for hydraulic in about 1960 (so no, good, RN axle was harmed during my recent efforts!!) so I started from where you're going to. I think I might have a photo somewhere of how they were. 

Steve

Yep, found one. This is the axle ends converted to take the MM hydraulic backplates offered up to the Girling ones. 

   

S

[Alan]

Charles, steering left under braking can be caused by the axle rocking under the brake torque. If you brace the radius arms to the top of the axle near the king pin eye, it helps a lot.

[Charles P]

Charles, steering left under braking can be caused by the axle rocking under the brake torque. If you brace the radius arms to the top of the axle near the king pin eye, it helps a lot.

Got a picture illustrating what you mean? 
I'm having trouble envisaging how the bracing attaches to the axle?

Thanks

C

[Alan]

I’ll do one tomorrow. The car is buried in the garage right now.

[GK5268]

TGood to know it works.

My rears are actually going hydraulic to match the front.
The fronts have been dogged by twitching to the left under first hard braking (after the first stab they're alright for a while, if frequently used but it doesn't engender confidence). I reckon this is the front cylinder on the right hand side being a bit lazy (seems so under test on axle stands.). It'll be replaced. I also suspect that it's exacerbated by strong brakes at the front only, making the car more nervous. And the diff was leaking through a gasket so I needed to address the axle anyway.

Charles

Charles, I would look at air in the system, the brake cylinder that points upwards is notorious for trapping air - the in/out is located at the bottom of the bore (all the others, when in position are orientated the other way up) and it is difficult to fully expel all the air in this situation (removing the back plate off the hub temporarily and bleeding these on their side would allow the air to escape) and air being more compressible than oil would account for its laziness - also, if lazy then it is more likely to suffer from corrosion in the bore which makes matters worse! 

The rears should be mounted with the piston acting downwards for the same reason, i.e. the in/out is then at the highest point and air can be properly expelled, the hand-brake lever is then pointing downwards (same as on a Morris Minor), lots of cars have this the other way up, but that adds the same bleeding difficulty!

I have hydraulics all round and the brakes are very effective and do inspire confidence!

[Charles P]

That is a really interesting insight. Thanks.
I've been pondering why many owners cite the left hand locking ahead of the right.
Bleeding off the stub axle is the next thing to try

C

[austin]

Braced front axle on our Ulster:

[Charles P]

Braced front axle on our Ulster:

Thanks. 
Another plus of having a semi Girling front axle is the extra location point - which I don't have.

C

[Chris KC]

Does anyone have experience of running semi-girling on the front and 'Austin' brakes on the rear? Any potential issues? I'm building up a spare axle for my Ulster rep, which has semi-girlings all round, would prefer to leave the brakes on the spare alone though.

Once converted to semi-girling, can you go back?

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Yes, Girling on the front and Austin on the rear are actually a very good combination in my experience Chris.

I would advise using the same levers you have on the rear on the front also, I.e. don’t use mixed length levers.

Nothing is impossible but reverting, an Austin rear axle converted to Girling, back to standard set up would be a lot of work in my opinion.