coupe update - dumped with mechanical brakes!

thanks! it def. looks better than it did a couple weeks ago.

 

Dig your car! Love where your headed with it.

 

He will only do that once then realize why Henry spendt money on hydraulics

 

My rule is if I can lock up the tires at speed, that's good enough. My mechanicals will stop on a dime. Keeping them adjusted is easier than keeping juice brakes from leaking.

 

i was wondering why you had to bend the steering arm until i saw that you dropped the axle also. when i did mine i just the components that henry sent out but just reversed the eyes on the spring

 

That first picture is mine. The reason I didn't have to bend the steering arm with my dropped axle is that I ordered a "stretch dropped" axle from Joe's Speed Shop. He drops the axle, but stretches them also so the axle width is still the same as stock. You can see that in the two pictures compared side by side.

 

I'll take that bet, what do you have to wager.....I'll bet my Model A.....Or a beat ass 1979 ford truck on 44 inch boggers....

 

I plan to run them also .

I'm on your side Hitchhiker....go get em .

 

Shit, I bet it will stop better than a Chevy on 38 inchers.....I got one of those too.....

 

I didn't know that you were so heavily into DONK!

 

Hey Elrod your coupe is awesome and a big influence in my '29 roadster build. I know you've been running those mech brakes for a while. What's your opinion on them?


Lucky 13 Ft. Worth, Texas

 

I've never used mechanical brakes or even built a car with them BUT take a look at this website, www.flatheadted.com, and see his video how he has a set of mechanical brakes stopping his 33-34 Ford sedan - you might become a believer!!

 

Mine are a little sketchy because they are worn out. Most of those old original drums have been turned so many times that the shoes can't get much grab. I'm able to stop the car fine, but I can't lock up the wheels in the coupe. I've been on the fence as to converting over to juice, and have all the brakes to do it, but I like the novelty of having mechanical brakes and may just get new drums for it.

I'm also in the Dallas Model A club, with the resto guys, and I've got another car that is a restored car. It has new cast iron drums and it will stop REALLY quick with the mechanicals. I have locked up all four wheels on that car before coming to a stop light forgetting that I'm driving the different Model A.

So, my opinion on them is that if you are working with non worn out parts, they can stop the car in no time, and even lock up the wheels. You can spend your money on some new cast iron drums for the Model A set up and go, or you can get the later ford juice brakes, along with fabricating a master cyl bracket, and bending brake lines, and indexing the rear backing plates, and you probably all in all spend about the same amount of dough, and get very similar results.

I don't dog either, and I'm a fan of juice brakes, but I also am a fan of mechanical brakes.

By hopping up the 4 banger rather than going for more displacement, I'm obviously the kind of guy that wants to see if I can make the old stuff work, before going to more modern stuff. That's just my personal interest in the hobby. I don't claim that it's right or wrong, but I will sometimes admit that it's a little bit insane.

 

To each his own, but I occasionally enjoy making the "experts" look down their noses at me. I like listening to guys at car shows when they are adamant that my car won't stop and therefore unsafe. People love giving advice, even when they don't know what the hell their talking about. Funny thing about "experts", their usually self-appointed.

 

I too run the mechanicals on my 29 coupe and they are just fine for me, lock up when I need them too and they stop the car just fine. You just have to get used to them. I have heard that the new aftermarket drums are even better than Henry's but I have not driven a car with them yet. Nice car by the way. You guys are really tempting me get a dropped axle.