MTFCA Forum

I’m in the process of putting the transmission back together in my sister’s T. The car has hydraulic drum brakes. Previously the transmission did not have an engine brake band installed so while I‘m at it I thought I would add the band as a backup. However, the brake pedal is a Rocky Mtn pedal without the cam to engage the brake band. It has a pedal side cam piece but it is not attached. It is used as a spacer. I could weld it to the pedal but before I do that I thought I’d ask what the experts would do or may have done? (Original Smith need not reply ).

Absolutely put the band brake back in!!!! Can those ugly disk brakes ever fail? Bet your life on it?
In fact, a buddy's disk was warped. He had to half pump them to stop. In a panic situation, he didnt & rear ended another T.
I am kind of in the Smith camp. Why dosent somebody make a big cover to hide those things? A big faux brake drum.

Edit. Sorry. I saw hydraulic & totally skipped "drum". Ugly doesnt apply.
The slightest possibility of a failure still leads to reactivating the transmission brake.

The post mentions DRUM brakes. Properly set up, they should be more than adequate, and at least better than standard T brakes, if the steel drums have been replaced with cast items.

Depending on the application, the Ford emergency brake may no longer be in operation.

I agree with the expressed sentiments on the appearance of disc brakes.

Allan from down under.

They are so ugly they should only be used with disk wheels! The drum brake should be used as a backup with any type of auxiliary brake. Just adjust the auxiliary brake to come on first and when the pedal is pushed hard both brakes will come on. The parking brake should also be left in place for parking and for emergency if all else fails. Especially if one drives in traffic or on mountains.
Norm

I'd rather have something like Model A drum rear brakes adapted to a T axle than any disc brake.

I'll never find the post and it was a long time ago but someone posted about a rear drum brake setup that was adapted for use on his T. All I recall is that it was a foreign car brake system and the small drums were darn near impossible to tell from the orig steel drums. Everything nicely hidden too.

Charlie B in N.J. wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 13, 2022 11:02 am

I'll never find the post and it was a long time ago but someone posted about a rear drum brake setup that was adapted for use on his T. All I recall is that it was a foreign car brake system and the small drums were darn near impossible to tell from the orig steel drums. Everything nicely hidden too.

A long past friend used drums from an 80's vw. A jetta or rabbit. Very clean set up. (small drum brakes)