I gotta wonder. When some kid rides his bike out in front of you, or steps off the curb, and you take him out, are you going to have enough insurance to cover the law suit? Could you go to prison for it? I wouldn't want to live with killing someone because I was just too cool for normal safety equiptment. I HATE the government getting involved in our hobby, but if we do enough stupid stuff, then someone has to make rules.
I know the way I drive must be different. I have had motorcycles all my life so I must ,so I watch differently than yall do. Like what Tinbender just said if some kid jumps in front of you. Well I know the surroundings and automat. look for these things. I may drive slower than some of yall do. Well I have been thinking of putting some spindel mounts on my 55. But I kinda dought it. I run drum brakes and bias tires on my hot rods . Does that make me unsafe ? It just makes me more cautious. I just think that the guys that DRIVE and KNOW there cars drives them differently than a lot off the so called weekend hot roddrers. I hope this dosent jinks me.. Danny
Just make sure the parachute is in working order. I mean how many regular cars have parachutes? Thats got to be worth something in a court of law. (just joking) The hitting a kid arguement is a valid point for sure. Of course thats also a good arguement against speeding and burning out and building our cars way too overpowered too. Generally it seems hot rodding is about IMPROVING something. Running only rear brakes isn't an improvement over a stock vehicle. Therefore a lot of folks have a problem with it. I think thats what it boils down to.
Well said! All this other stuff is bullshit, the thread is about no front brakes. Even the guy's who run without em admit it's not a good setup. I think you could build a car to "freak out the locals", and still put brakes on it. As far as all this other stuff, it's apples and oranges. Non collapsible columns and steel dashes are not a safety issue until you crash, something that's much less likely to happen if you have FRONT BRAKES, and then it's only you that's injured by those things! And as far is it being an argument against us "building our cars way to overpowered" we have control over how much of that power we use, but when it comes to inferior brakes we lose control simply because there's not enough there. Some compromises in performance are necessary to build a hot rod, even in the braking department, after all, look how many of us run front drums instead of discs, and I think that's fine, but running with no front brakes on public streets is irresponsible, it ain't just you out there. We may not be able to convince some of you, but if someone is hurt, and you built the car that way, I'll bet some Lawyer is gonna make it an issue. Look around at all you have, is it worth given up just to "freak out the locals"?
Hey Danny, I've got a pair of spindle mount 12 spokes for chevy spindles if ya want to see what they would look like on the '55. Lots of spindle mount wheels can be adapted to run discs. Doc.
Roddinron, Out by us we have a local cruise that every weekend a hand full of guys trailer up their drag purpose cars up to the cruise and unload them, they do not even fire them up, all the locals check them out for they do not or never have been to a drag strip, so they check them out....That's how I would take mine at this moment, because I have not bought my Radirs as of yet, plus the my other reason to want them besides the braking capabilities is I really would not prefer to run magnesium skinny rims on our street, for some of our roads are in bad shape........and even with front brakes I highly doubt I would attempt to drive it on our streets, their is just too much traffic, and I think my car may be too much of a handful...The only times it has been driven was on the drag strip grounds and down an industrial road on a Sunday when no one was around. It is every hotrodders responsibility to use your head and good judgement, it reflect on us all car enthusiast.Trust me when I say their is a lot of stuff on the street that should not be and they also have all of their brakes..and are running on the street with what I call death engineering......its all speculation.........if you build it with a big engine, well you better pay attention when you put together your brakes and engineer it accordingly.........unless its a Drag car like mine that will only see the asphalt a quarter mile at a time once finished, but have plans in the works for a street version, which means it will be purpose built for the street but with the same look..............Littleman...and it will freak the locals out.
Take your family car out, and when you are going around a curve pull the emergency brake on REAL hard , like you were in a panic stop situation.................While you are going backwards into the ditch, just remember how great a HOT ROD with 4 wheel brakes would be!
There's not too much that's more depressing, than the hopeless/helpless feeling KNOWING you're not gonna stop in time for what just pulled out in front of you
Cars without front brakes are cool. But going home to your family is REALLY cool This is an interesting topic, but as a Father of 3or4(jury still out on # 4) and a guy that still drives 260+MPH racecars (dragsters only have rear brakes) I dont think a car needs to be compromised for coolness. Put some brakes on it dont be cheap..
One white knuckle ride downhill through a red light into a fast moving intersection without fronts and having the backs literally smoking(leaky wheel cylinder coated the shoe-friction could have started a fire) will change your mind forever. If I didn't swing a full throttle hard right and squeeze between a saturn and semi truck I'd be dead. The car(not mine-29 roadster pickup) got brakes the very next day on the front. Brakes were left off the front for ease of build and lack of dough. You can drive without them- especially with a stickshift that will allow downshifting to slow down but don't do it.
That's cool, there's nothing wrong with what you're doing, I just want to be sure people reading this KNOW how you use your car. Some newer guys may get the wrong impression and build something that could cause a lot of grief not only for them, but others as well. Hell one guy here is driving a 41 ford with no front brakes, WHY! You can't even see it on a 41 ford! There's some room for argument for doing it on a fenderless car, but a big heavy, fat fendered car, why? Hot rods have always had an aura of danger about them, and that's part of what makes them "cool", but lets not endanger others just to feed our own fantasies. What's next, don't like the looks of panhard bars, so leave them off your cross steered car, and just wonder all over the road? Build safe, and you won't be sorry. And I hear ya on the road conditions Littleman, I'm from Pa. (not far from the Ohio border) so I know bad roads. I have always envied you Ohio guys for the stuff you're allowed to drive out there. Used to be that if you wanted to see "real" hot rods, you had to drive out to Ohio. Might change some now though since Pa dumped the fender law, but we'll never get away with what you guys do.
Josh, I have to agree with you and Slide. The cars on the road today are smarter than most of the drivers. Maybe real progress would be to take all that crap OFF of cars so you HAD to pay attention ,and THINK! It would be amuseing to watch some 16 year old girl juggle her latte and cell phone while trying to down shift a "three on the tree"
Roddinron, when you have a chance go back and read my first post on this thread, what you have stated above is the exact reason I chimed in. I saw my cars name and what they were asking about, and wanted to make sure they knew what my intensions are in the end.........The idea is to be constructive, but still believe in the freedom of choice for everyone and their ideas. .............Yes , with the snow and such it really tears our roads up, and if I remember the Pa. laws have gotten alittle easier for you all, I think you can be fenderless now like you said..................Littleman
I'm not laughing at possible safety issues, brakes are a good thing to have BUT I think there are a lot of Nancy's out there worrying about everything in the world. Call me lucky but I've been licensed to drive for 48 years and drove 3 years before that. Owned over 180 cars and trucks plus 28 bikes. I have never had a driving accident (I have run into a few thing on purpose) The newest car I own is a 82 buick station wagon (it has a carb and I can work on it) and those new car with anti lock brakes had better watch their rear view mirror if I'm behind them. my point is that I never out drive the vehicle I'm in. those speed limits of 20, 25, 35 in residential and school zones are made to allow a 75 year old with no reflex's to stop safely. and I'm sure even my stock Model T (Henry didn't use front brakes either) could haul down at proper speeds. I used to be a factory rider for Greeves (a British bike that most youngsters have never heard of) the Greeves had motor and suspension and not a sign of brakes, couldn't lock them up even on dirt. My factory rep used to tell me "you can't go fast with the brakes on" I ran over a lot of bikes with better brakes (that just one way of passing the competition) When I ran my T back in the 70's I used to tap the brakes to set up for turns at high speed just like a dirt bike. Used to own a 65 T-bird convertible with a 428 tri-powered cobrajet, worst brakes ever! used to fade just driving normal. lost complete brakes twice coming down mountains. replaced every component twice before I sold the bitch! like all that has been said above (except from the Nancy's) know your vehicle and stay within IT'S LIMITS AND YOURS!! next, the soap box is open
Heres where i piss everyone off.. Im doing it on purpose to Get the look. Not for ease or lack of $$. This is my HAMB gas rail. I will take it to some local shows. But i wont be driving it around... Mainly for the strip... Something FUN to play with. And I totaly agree with everyone. If its made for the street, RUN FRONT BRAKES. I have Drum all the way around with the 54, Yes it stops like shit. But it stops. DONT TAIL GATE THE JACK ASS IN FRONT OF YOU!
I'am chicken,old enough to know I wont live for ever. There's allways the driver that will cut you off in rush hour traffic to gain 2 car lengths in two miles. Thanks for all the replys. Littleman-out of all the cars I have seen on the H.A.M.B. yours just looks right.Would like to see it on the street. I'll be using front brakes. Fred
What would scare me is jumping on the binders hard in an emergency on a curve or in the rain. You will do a 180' spin in the blink of an eye. That could toss you off the road, or worse into on coming traffic. Front brakes yes!
I agree with everyone that said that no front brakes is totally unsafe on the street. I can't imagine the one that drives a 41 Ford on the street with no front brakes. I hope I am never nearby when he is on the road.
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