Just how good should the brakes on my Ruby be?

[Joe eck]

I may I may be imagining this but a recent replacement of the rather sloppy silent bloc bush on the torque tube anchor for my Ruby appears to have improved the braking quite considerably??

[Robert Leigh]

On our 1928 Chummy the brakes are upgraded to coupled system, using a later cross-shaft, with later drums and 1.25" linings. The last time it was MOT'd the tester let me drive while he watched the meter; the figure was 80%, which I regard as good. Standard systems which have not been brought up to scratch will not achieve this figure.
Robert Leigh

[Bob Culver]

As above, on a rolling road the reading with coupled brakes is a bit uncertatin. 80% with high pedal pressure may not feel re assuring to moderns but, wih the lightning reactions of Seven drivers,  will generally keep you out of trouble. For a much heavier Ruby the same braking reduces in proportion to the weight increase, so may only be about 60% .

I found driving my Seven I was always 100% alert and conscious of all traffic devleopments. The problem on todays roads, even with a car near 60 years old, is that the sheer tedium leads to a significant increase in reaction time.

Forty or so years ago when many cars had good brakes but on crossplies it was not uncommon to see spectacular pirouettes in the wet.  As the old road tests noted the Seven was very safe.....

[Peter Sweeney]

Having a Late Ruby special and a Big 7 both on full Girling brakes. I have found in the past they were quite good on braking. The Big 7 I restored in the early 70s and the special I built in the early 80s. After the JOGLE in 2012 the brakes on the Big 7 were in need of some servicing so stripped all down and replaced all bearings and clevices and had the groves in the shafts welded and turned back to size. A new cable was fitted at the front and the brakes all reset with all 4 wheels off the ground. The result was worse brakes than I started with. I have chatted with my brother Denis about a thought I have. That new front cable when you brake pulls the twist in the cable slightly like a spring and don't pull the leavers as tight as they should. Eventually they reach a point where they are fully stretched and can't stretch any more then you can adjust the leavers without loosing the adjustment lost by untwisting. If you have followed my reasoning. Why I feel this might be is that when I built the special I used some second hand cable that had come off a winch used to pull cars onto a trailer at the front and this cable would have fully stretched. The brakes have always been good locking up all 4 wheels. The Big 7 also did this quite easily and I reused the original cable in the 70s it when I restored it. I might be barking up the wrong tree but it is a thought.

[Mr Pharmacist]

On the subject of improving braking, has anyone fhad the Oxfordshire Sevens twin leading shoe mod fitted that is mentioned at the bottom of this page?

http://www.oxfordshiresevens.co.uk/impro...tin-seven/

[dickie65]

Last time I had the Type 65 on a rolling road I managed to lock the front brakes on the rolling road.
I could only hold the pressure required for a short while.
I have cramped my right leg in an emergency stop I always use the handbrake when heavy braking is needed.
Your right leg is the servo.
You need a strong right leg to make the brakes work really well.

[Jays]

Out of interest is the Bowdenex system still available?

[Jamie]

On the subject of improving braking, has anyone fhad the Oxfordshire Sevens twin leading shoe mod fitted that is mentioned at the bottom of this page?

http://www.oxfordshiresevens.co.uk/impro...tin-seven/

I know that the system was fitted to a successful yellow race car and that they made a big difference to the car. I cannot remember whose car it was, though.

Jamie.

[Chris KC]

It strikes me that balance would become even more critical.

[Greig Smith]

We make our own Bowdenex conversions, our Type "65" had a period set, but they were well worn and the flexible outer cables were starting to fray and collapse. We copied the design in modern cabling with a Teflon inner liner. The new outer sleeves have a black vinyl covering on them which makes them blend fairly well with the black underside and running gear of the cars

They work pretty well too, ok we have all new brake cams and new Clevis pins etc, etc which go a long way in ensuring that a Seven's brakes are about as good as they can be (sounds of hysterical laughter in the background), but I can lock the wheels of the single seater on Tarmac if I prod the pedal hard and haul on the handbrake

If anyone wants more details on how to make these conversions, let me know and I'll post pictures, alternately if you are very patient we can assemble & send you a set.

Aye
Greig

Out of interest is the Bowdenex system still available?