MTFCA Forum

I got the cab off so I could get some deceit pictures of my brake set-up. The hand brake is hooked the front U-shaped thing-a-ma-jig. The middle and rear are hooked together and run by the small black lever (looks homemade). The brake rods and cable weren't connected to any of these. They were just connected to the rear brake levers so I don't know where they go which makes no difference because you guys told me what set-up I really need. The right pedal (which I thought was the brake) isn't hooked to anything. It just goes into the transmission. Does anyone have a picture of standard TT brakes? I will need brake shoes if anyone has some for sale. I think the vendors probably have everything else.

The pedal that goes into the transmission is the transmission brake. Have you pulled the wheels off, do you know it need rear shoes? The rods with the clivices go to the TT rear parking brakes, they would have been hooked to the parking brake cross shaft (the front one). If you have outside brakes, I am guessing they would have been hooked up to the two T connecting rod thingy. Seems it would have been hard to use!! Under the Ruckstell shifting rod I see a link, what does it connect to at the front if anything?
If it were mine, I would pull everything that was not part of the stock Ford brake system off except the outside brakes(?) and cable and start fresh. It is going to take some thinking, but it can be done. I would want to operate the outside brakes off the brake pedal.

It's not easy to tell for sure, but I THINK what you have is:

1. A stock transmission brake.
2. A stock parking/emergency brake (front part - I know the shoes aren't there).
3. An auxiliary brake system that's been "customized" to be activated with the home made lever.

IMHO you should probably:
1. Remove the transmission brake band and pedal (we can help with how to do this).
2. Remove the home made lever assembly.
3. Obtain and install a proper equalizer and linkage and pedal for the auxiliary brakes.
4. Obtain and install rear shoes and associated activation parts.

I know this sounds like a lot, but with a little patience and some Forum help you can get it done!

P.S. The "U-shaped thing-a-ma-jig" is a brake equalizer.

I enlarged the last photo. I see the link I was asking about now. The cables might have connected to the end of the cross shaft, it would be an activator not an equalizer. If you are going to use the cross shaft I would A; use rods and B; connect it to the brake pedal (your would ether need to weld a tab on the bottom or buy one made up), not the T handle. I would not remove the transmission brake band, it holds the shaft in place. Loosen yes maybe, remove no. Looks like the only thing the center cross shaft does is hold the T handle so it would not be needed. Because of the transmission between the engine and rear end, don't think the normal equalizer setup sold will work, but there are ways. Going back to the pedal, depending on what way you want to go dictates where the tab is mounted for the link. For the cross shaft as it is now, bottom to push. Many torque tube mounted equalizers would have the tab mounted above the center line of the pedal to pull. Google "mtfca; outside brakes" or ""(for examples). There are many ideas out there. While most are for cars, TT's are about the same.
I see now that shoes are missing, added a link;
https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6357

Rod,... I have lots of good TT brake shoes if you need some. $50 @ pr+ actual shipping USPS med. flat rate..gwhouse731@gmail.com

In our last thread you explained the left pedal, transmission brake and hand brake. I think that is what I have. But in my set-up does the right pedal also operate the transmission brake? Also could someone post a picture of the standard brake pedal and the brake shoe set-up.

A standard T or TT the right pedal ONLY operates the transmission brake.
The outside brakes are aftermarket and would have been installed after the truck was bought, so not stock to the truck.
The rods would have connected from the front cross shaft to the levers that operate the parking brakes and would have been applied when the parking brake handle was pulled back. The stock brakes were not connected to the transmission brake, right pedal, in any way, only the parking brake lever. Cars and trucks were the same.
If you don't have a copy I suggest you get an owners manual, most all the dealers carry them. It would cover the basic operation of the T and TT. Being as, for the most part, both are operated more or less the same.

I find the 'as found' pictures interesting; I appreciate seeing how these machines were adapted to do the job at hand with no budget...I imagine that tee handle brake actuator was actually adjusted so it could be operated by the driver's right foot using the heel of the boot...and the ingenuity: using an extra emergency brake cross shaft, with what looks like a couple of old connecting rods for a brake pedal lever!

http://www.cimorelli.com/mtdl/default.htm
http://www.cimorelli.com/mtdl/1926/default.htm

I can't help but wonder if this lever set-up was an early version of accommodating a handicapped driver. Maybe he/she couldn't operate the right pedal.

Anyhow, a thought to consider.

This was my Grandpa's TT and he was a fairly tall guy but not handicapped. He drove it from Colorado to California and back twice. My Dad said it has hauled more corn, coal and hogs than I will ever see. Don't know why it was set-up this way but I want to restore it back to original or close with any added safety features like two sets of working brakes.

After rereading our last thread I hope I understand everything. If I remove the home made apparatus and connect the outside band to the hand lever that leaves the brake pedal to run the transmission brake, Then I have two independent braking systems right? In which case I don't need the internal brake shoes?

Rod,

I suppose the answer to your question is yes, BUT that's not what I think you really want. Typically, what we TT owners like to see is:

1. The stock ford brake lever operate the emergency/parking brake by applying the shoes inside the drum. These are the ones that are missing in your truck.
2. The brake pedal operate the outside auxiliary brakes.
3. While not universally accepted, many of us believe that with the pedal in use for the aux. brakes use of the transmission brake should be abandon altogether. My TT, for example, doesn't have a brake band nor does the pedal have the cam necessary to operate the transmission brake band. I rely solely on the aux. brakes for my service brake.

I should point out that with an auxiliary transmission AND a two speed rear end, both of which you have, chances are that you'll get stuck between gears occasionally. When this happens the transmission brake is completely useless. Good practice is that the brake pedal, which most of us would go for instinctively, should operate the service brake (in this case the aux. brakes) reliably regardless of being stuck between gears. The emergency/parking brake is free to operate as originally intended.

I hope this helps.....

Thank-you Henry. After looking things over this morning, I think I can weld an ear on the bottom of the brake pedal and use part of the homemade assembly to operate the outside band. That is unless there is a better way. Earlier you mentioned obtaining a brake pedal, linkage and equalizer. If this is a better way., where do I get these items?

It's not possible for me to determine exactly what brand of auxiliary brakes you have from the photos you've posted. I suggest you examine what you have carefully and see if you can figure it out. Once you know what you have then start looking for the correct pedal and equalizer. It also may turn out that with the correct pedal and equalizer the rods are not the correct length, but this is easily corrected. Try looking on the equalizers you have, the pedal, the bands, the rear actuating gear and whatever else you have.

IMHO I'd stay away from home made brake components. If you can't properly get what you have in order you might consider obtaining and entirely different set that's complete, new or used.

Take a look at page 35 of the catalog in this link. There will be differences from one brand to another, but the pictures will give you a visual of what a complete set looks like.

http://chaffinsgarage.com/catalog.pdf