VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 1935 Master mechanical brakes

I very recently bought a 1935 Master sedan. It seems like I have to stand on the brakes to get the car to stop. A mechanic friend said that that is just the way mechanical brakes worked and I just have to get used to it. I'm afraid to put my kids in the car because it stops so poorly. Is it possible to convert to hydraulic brakes or is that a bad idea? I want to keep the car as original as safely possible but it wont be original for long if I smash into someone! Any advise on experience with brake conversion would be really helpful.

The brakes should stop your 1935 without much pedal pressure. In fact you should be able to slide all four wheels with only moderate pedal pressure. The key is using soft linings that are made for mechanical brake systems. If you use modern hard linings designed for hydraulic brakes it will take high pedal pressure.

Definitely get the correct woven linings for mechanical brakes and you will be able to stop on a dime! Converting to hydraulic brakes is not the way to go.


:) :grin:

Have they been checked for proper adjustment? My '35 Standard was the same way when I bought it, but after a relatively easy adjustment on all four wheels, it now "stops on a dime".

Your brake system is in need of a complete inspection. My 1934, which has the same brakes, had very adquate braking power. First I would remove all the drums, inspect the linings, check the cams that spread the shoes and make sure all the cables are free and moving. Also lubricate all the friction points. Then follow the adjusting proceedure in the shop manual including centering the shoes (very simple)...........and get a shop manual. Reprints are available from....fillingstation.com....Just a warning. To remove the rear drums it will be necessary to remove the differential cover and remove the C locks and pull the axles.. All explained in the manual and not as bad as it sounds. My '34 stopped well with moulded linings.

The best part of these brakes is that once you have everything working and lubricated they will almost never need attention, unlike hydraulics that need wheel and master cyl. kits/replacement every several years.

I definitely agree with the comments above. When I was young I drove a '32 regularly to the beach, to the mountains to ski, on gravel logging roads, in the rain, etc. and the brakes worked well. They stopped straight and were well balanced front and rear. Of course the car had belonged to a friend's mother and she kept it in good shape. When he got it I got to drive it more than him. He wasn't and still isn't a car guy. And as Gene says above, once you get mechanicals working, they stay working. I don't remember how many "collector" cars with hydralic brakes that I've fixed over the last 40 years in the club. Most of them were on restored cars and were totally dangerous.

Question. Who makes these woven/soft linings for mechanical brakes. And where can I get them?

You can get the woven linings at any major clutch and brake shop. It comes on a roll and is sold by the foot. The same type of woven lining is also used as friction material on various pieces of equipment and machinery.

:) :grin:

Isn't the woven lining harder because it has the steel "woven" in it?...or isn't the modern stuff like that?

Actually, the correct woven linings are softer as compared to the modern linings. The woven lining has highs and lows and the material woven into the lining is brass. Now, having said that, there are different woven linings and some of the material is very hard...so it all depends on the type of woven linings used.

:) :grin:

The woven lining is the type typically used on heavy equipment drum clutches, brake bands. It is intended for low speed applications.

The right kind of linings are important but the first step woiuld be to properly adjust the brakes. The manual outlines the procedure, but basically you need to center the brake shoes and then tighten the adjustment until the linings just begin to rub on the shoes. The stamped steel drums may be out of round a little and they can be ground - not cut- to true them up.
As others have stated, the brakes work pretty well once you have them adjusted properly.

Coach

I would check out the brake cables and the whole mechancal system to see if everything moves freely first of all.

I did not put woven linings on my 35 Master during restoration of the brakes. I purchased NOS aftermarket molded linings. (In fact I purchased two sets, one set of which I still have.) The set I used had different materials for the leading and trailing shoes, as I was told that is what is correct (or maybe I read that in the shop manual). The leadind lining is harder than the trailing lining. The extra set I have (which I purchased first) uses the same material for all shoes. Incidentally, I have not driven the car with the new linings as the restoration is not complete (Just now painting the body so it can go back on the chassis.)

Jim G