Hot Rods Mechanical and hydraulic brakes

I went out to look at a front axle today hoping to get hydraulic brake parts for my model a. Do to a miscommunication on the phone it turned out he had a newer ford axle still with mechanical brakes. I thanked and said I really was looking for hydraulic brakes to match my 9" rear end, he said no problem I could use mechanical on the front and hydraulic on the back, it was done all the time. I can't find any reference to this with Google. Can any body give me a reference. Phil

 

i'm sure it could be done , but i'm not sure how to do it ....but why would anyone want too?

use hydraulic brakes...either disc or drum....on both front and rear. the correct parts you need are out there somewhere and can be found

 

With all the posts here about getting the proportional valve adjusted front to back with hydraulic brakes, I cannot imagine how you would do that with a mix of hydraulic and mechanical brakes.

 

I built my first hot rod in 1962 and to this day I have never heard of this before. One or the other, but not a mix of hydraulics and mechanicals.

 

You guys miss the point – the guy was trying to sell the axle.

 

heh...yeah, just another lying seller.

 

You guys are more suspicious than I am but you have a point. Phil

 

If you include the parking/emergency brake components, yes “it’s done all the time”.....

As for ‘service brakes’, I have never seen it in my many decades of constant involvement with automobiles and light trucks.

 

My guess is that he is lying through his teeth just to sell the axle. I bought my first Model A in 1962 so I have been around them for a while. Try asking if he knows of someone with this set up that you could look at? Since it is done "all the time" he should be able to point you to one to look at.

Charlie Stephens

 

Obviously it is not done all the time as no one here has ever heard of it being done.

 

Mine has that
It’s called an emergency brake
The term emergency was replaced with the term parking
Mechanical brakes are for emergencies and parking
Herry Ford fought the edvance of hydraulics because he was cheap and stubborn

 

Rolls Royce had hydraulic and mechanical system both activated by the foot pedal.

On both Bentley S1, Bentley S2 and Rolls Royce Silver Cloud I / II cars, the braking system incorporates a gearbox-driven friction type servo motor which is engaged by the foot brake pedal. The output from the servo is transmitted through hydraulic cylinders which operate Girling Hydrastatic brakes incorporating special Rolls-Royce features.
In addition to operating the servo, the foot brake pedal is also connected to the rear brakes through a mechanical linkage of rods in tension, as also is the handbrake, and supplies 40 per cent (Bentley SI cars) or 30 per cent (Silver Clou 2 cars) of the effort applied to the rear brakes, the additional 60 per cent (S1 cars) or 70 per cent (S2 cars) being provided hydraulically.
The handbrake also is connected to the rear brakes through a mechanical linkage.

 

the last one I worked on was years ago, but I remember the brakes working comfortably. it had a progressive pedal action.........or something like that. I can't remember but it changed depending on the speed of the car? do you know what am I thinking/remembering?

 

Ford Pilots. Hydraulic in the rear...mech up front.

Done "all the time" though...don't think so

 

I believe that was the other way 'round.

 

Well..knocked a few back..so will have to go out tomorrow and check it out.

Need a chassis?

 

To be truthful I found that paragraph and copied and pasted it. My only experience with Rolls was my neighbor Chuck, a"jack of all trades" did some restoration work on a Doctors mid 50's right hand drive Rolls that he bought direct from England. It looked good for a couple of years, then the rust started popping through the bondo that the fine English craftsmen had applied. This was in the mid 70's and I remember him stating that the rear brakes were mechanical.

 

I got a rear axle from a British car that has both mechanical and hydraulic
Mechanical brakes and s built it hydraulic jack system
I guess changing tires was more important than stopping

 

It speaks volumes about how much time a builder thinks what they made will be broken that they included the jacks in the design.

 

Maybe folks here should consider this
Getting jacks under some of the lowered stuff we build sux

 

I set minimum ride at 4". My jack drops to 3-7/8" (and goes up to 31-1/2").

 

"The Security of Steel - From Pedal to Wheel"

Interestingly enough, can't pull something out of the weeds after 50 years and expect the juice brakes to work, though mechanical brakes will. Not saying they are "better", just that they work fine when adjusted properly.

 

I need one of those.
Jacking up the bus stinks

 

Even stopping at 75mph+ like we enjoy running our modified Henry rides?

 

Only 3000lbs.

 

I'm not sure. Maybe. Didn't they use mechanical brakes on big heavy trucks and log haulers? I'd think the brake design doesn't care how that force is transmitted. In other words, I think they could be made to work fine, sure. Why not?

 

I got a late 30s front axle with mechanical brakes
They still work
May use em if I ever need a front e- brake

 

Well, maybe if you work out really hard.
Wonder if we added a slave cylinder to actuate the mechanical brake lever
???

 

Didn't Ford have juice front brakes and mechanical rear in 1939? I know English Fords had such a combination a few years later.

Mechanical brakes can work practically as well as hydraulics if everything is perfect. Some heavy, powerful cars of the thirties had mechanical brakes with vacuum assist. Still, I wouldn't trust them on anything but a restored car with stock engine and bias ply tires.

 

I've done something similar but not on my Model A. I put a Goulding sidecar (hydraulic brakes) on my 1942 Harley, (Mechanical brakes). How? Easy. Leave all the mechanical parts as is. Add the master cylinder near the brake pedal, and the pushrod. Why? So the brakes on the sidecar work.