Brake adjustment

[John Mason]

Hello all,  I have a 1935 Mk1 Ruby with of course coupled brakes.  Working alone can I rely on using the hand brake in the on position to adjust the cables or do I need a second person to operate the brakes whilst I check the wheels for movement.

When adjusting the fronts I am thinking about making a small modification to the yoke adjuster in as much as drilling out the threads in the round steel piece that fits between the holes in the yoke in order that adjustment of the cable can be made with a short barrel nut behind it and locked with a lock nut to prevent it coming loose.

What are forum members views on this and are there any pitfalls in doing it that I may have missed.

John Mason

[Nick Salmon]

John, I shall watch the answers to this with interest as I was about to ask the same question about removing the thread in the pivot. My Ruby and Opal have plain pivots and are easy to adjust. The Box has one that is threaded and it is a bit of a faff to adjust.

[John Cornforth]

Hi

I drilled out the threads in the short 1/2 inch diameter piece and used a nut plus locknut, to make adjustment easier.  It will slightly weaken it, but no ill effects or signs of distortion seen after more than 10 years use.

Adjust on the handbrake if you want balanced braking on the handbrake.  In principle the footbrake effort goes down the offside outer tube and is applied to the middle of the inner tube, i.e. at the same place as the handbrake.  In practice however, the tubes seize together or there is wear in the bearings.  The net result is that you get too much footbrake effort to the offside rear.  So I recommend initially adjusting on the handbrake, then checking brake balance on the footbrake with a firm application.  A level gravel surface will show if one brake is hogging the effort, you can then slacken off a tiny amount (e.g. 1 mm) and re-test.

[Martin Prior]

I adjust my brakes every few hundred miles. Jack up the front end, apply the handbrake by ONE click and tighten the front cable until the wheels just begin to scuff. Repeat the process for the back brakes, but with the handbrake applied by TWO clicks. A very quick and simple single-handed job and if everything is in good order you should be able to lock up all four wheels on a dry road.

[Malcolm Parker]

As I have the Pytchley on axle stands at the moment and will be adjusting the brakes this afternoon, I will follow Martin's advice above and look forward to having rather more braking power to slow the little beast down!
The twin SU carbs have been taken off and replaced with a single side-draught 1" SU and new exhaust arrangement.  The cylinder head is now a bronze 9E1 and I have also fitted a modified DK4A distributor, so there will be plenty to keep me busy with when I take it for a road test.

[Steve kay]

Martin, you make it sound easy. How do you adjust the cables? Drawing the cable to tighten it, or using a claw adjuster? The front brakes starting before the rear is of course vital with a front axle of doubtfully precise location when brakes applied.

[John Mason]

Thanks everybody for all the advice. All done and fitted.

John Mason

[Martin Baker]

An excellent brake balance tool is descibed on the BA7C website http://www.ba7c.org/technicalArticles/br...eTool.html. A variation on the original Austin servise tool. Makes balancing the brakes so much easier!

[John Mason]

I think a simpler tool could be made from a stout length of timber about an inch shorter than required to fit between the depressed brake pedal and the drivers seat. Make two wooden wedges to fit between the seat and length of timber and by knocking them together it will lengthen the tool and hold it in place depressing the pedal at the same time. A wood screw screwed into the wedges will stop them opening up.

John Mason

[Bob Culver]

Not mentioned above but some have the crude direct cable adjusters fitted which simplifies things although the kinks impossible to remove .(not allowed here)
For those relying on original adj of rear cables care is necessary that adequate thread remains engaged.