Need measurements from 46 Ford emergency brakes

I am trying to get the emergency brakes working on my dad’s car. This car was put together years ago with a lot of different parts. Dad thinks the brakes are 1946 but he is not sure. The emergency brake lever does not seem tohave enough throw and I think I am working with a mismatch of parts from different years.

What I need is the measurement from the engagement arm pivot hole to the start of the slot (Diagram A in attachment). I also need the measurement of the lever to the lower corner of the box on the backing plate when the emergency brake is off (Diagram B in attachment).

My guess is I have the wrong engagement arm that is too short and it is not allowing enough throw for the lever to engage the emergency brake.

And based on my measurements of the box, can anyone narrow down which year of banjo I have? The axle beaing appears to be about 3-1/2” diameter.

Thanks in advance.

 

I dont have the measurements handy, but can you make it work by taking up a bit (lot) more on the intermediate cable?

 

I tried that and there is not enough throw on the lever to make that work. It really looks like the engagement arm is to short and that doesn't allow enough throw on the lever. I was hoping to get a measurement for the arm to see what arm to start looking for or possibly lengthen the arm that I have.

 

The parts you show in your drawing are Ford 1939 - 1948 parking brake arms and cross struts. They are all the same. Are you sure you have the right year shoes for your backing plates? It makes a big difference, and I have found many cars with the wrong shoes. Also there are several choices for the anchor pin holes. If you have the 39 -41 style backing plates, there is a rather complicated adjusting procedure, you must follow before adjusting the parking brake. You don't say what car you are working on, is it a stock body Ford, or a composite hot rod?

 

Its a composite custom 36 Ford (old photo in my avatar). The shoes are the 42-48 style with the flats on the anchor holes. Not sure what everything else is as I inherited my dad's old project and he does not remember what the used when they put it together way back when.

So if all of the cross struts were the same length, it looks like I need to determine what backing plates I have to see if they match up with the 42-48 shoes.

 

On my '35 w/t-5, I made a strap that bolted as a pivot to one of the lower right frame holes from where I took out the lower plate of the x-member. Drilled a few holes the length of the strap. Attached the e-brake handle to a hole close to the pivot and the cable-to-rear to a hole further out. After a few trial and errors, got it to work OK.
RB

 

I like that you still refer to it as an 'Emergency Brake'- Like it's only used when you have one of those Holy Sh** moments.
Sounds so much more dynamic than the 'parking brakes' in modern cars.

 

Yeah, when I was in school taking drivers ed they referred to it as a emergency brake so that is what I have always called it and what me dad always called it. Cars are meant to be driven so any time it is parked its am emergency!