Hydraulics on a Seven - other than Morris Minor...

[Stuart Giles]

My AG tourer was converted in the 60's to early (50's) Morris Minor hydraulics with a VERY substantial bracket holding the M/cyl to the chassis!
When it came out of it's Ohio barn it was found that the whole system apart from the backplates & drums was unusable. however a kit of parts & new pipes (cheap & easily available) was fitted and the brakes are terrific! even the handbrake used MM cables (& a bit of ingenuity!)

Your highly effective brakes are not a surprise to me at least. The issue of hydraulic Vs. cable brakes on A7s seems to turn in to a religious debate every time it comes up on here. In my view there's something wrong with a hydraulic brake installation if it doesn't substantially outperform an equivalent cable braked system simply because hydraulic losses (skin friction) should always be lower than than the various friction losses in shafts, pivots etc. on an equivalent mechanically operated system.

During a paddock chat at a hillclimb meeting some years ago, another A7 mounted competitor told me that I was at a disadvantage as he had weighed the components of both braking systems and my special was carrying an 8 lb weight penalty due to it's hydraulic brakes. During free practice I had the opportunity to watch said competitor's approach to the final hairpin; he was braking a full 20 yards before I stood on my brake pedal; a good part of the reason that he was consistently about a second slower than my time.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

The hydraulic brakes conversion I mention above was fitted to our RK in 1959/60 - we think by Ray Stephens who was a janitor a the (then) owners school in Shaftesbury.

My father bought the car like this in 1964 and drove it around 350'000 miles in until it came off the road in the late 1980s/early 1990's - the system was Morris 1000.

When I put the car back on the road about 12 years ago I replaced everything on that system and after a little tinkering it worked as well as it had ever done, the issues arose because the car was little used and I found cylinders were seizing in between, the car is kept in a wooden garage and used maybe 3-4 times a year. Eventually I took the whole system off and reinstated uncoupled brakes with Girling backplates, it is still like this today.

Had the car remained in regular daily use it most likely would still have hydraulics - for me it was a case of horses for courses. In the same vein, I am happy with the cable brakes on my others Sevens so have never sought to change them.

If rod brakes with full Girling back plates are not an option (these are tremendous on the very late Two Seaters and Rubys I have driven) then I prefer the off-set shoe system used around 1935/6, these out perform anything else I currently have.

[Paul N-M]

Only one second Stuart. Your obviously not braking late enough!!!!

[Stuart Giles]

Only one second Stuart. Your obviously not braking late enough!!!!

Probably true, however, here's proof that I have been the very last of the late brakers. this is my "modern" racecar at a hillclimb and is proof that having 4 pot vented disc brakes and soft slick tyres will be no help at all if you don't have your brain fully engaged when you're driving.



Agree with Ruairidh that the full Girling brakes are easily the best of the A7 brakes, Austin's finally dumping the twisty full width brake crosshaft was a bonus there too.

[Paul N-M]

Ooops!

[Ivor Hawkins]

Now THAT’S late braking!

[Renaud]

Ha ha!