Nothing wrong with discs if done right, but I have F1 brakes on both my deuce roadster and 32 3W coupe - they work great. Vehicle mass has a lot to do with it, F1 brakes on a roadster done right will put you thru the windshield haha.
Agree with your assessment completely even though I’m currently rebuilding a set of 46 brakes on the 46 truck banjo going under my 27 touring. However I have a set of F1 brakes going on the front. Hopefully the setup will work adequately for a 2000ish pound, flathead powered rod. I won’t be running fenders so I can’t stand the idea of disc brakes on it. If it doesn’t stop well I’ll move to better rears and try again.
Excellent explanation of different brake types. I started out in a brake & front end shop in the mid 60's and did many F1 conversions on early ford hotrods. Still have all my adjustment tools for pre-Bendix brakes. Been following this build with much interest.
I think you ll be fine. I think so long as your drums are in spec, and in my experiences the early ford rears are and the fronts are affordable for the f1 you should be just fine... i dont know if the car and truck rear drums are the same, but if so... I have a set laying around if yours are toast.
@@betweenthesharksgarage Thanks for the offer on the drums, I may take you up on that. My research shows they are the same and the front and errs are the same as well, just the hubs are different. Which is an important note, the lug studs are swedged, so the swedge must be cut to remove the drums in order to prevent damaging the drums and/or hubs… you can’t just beat or press out the studs without cutting the swedge. (Video coming soon…) I also may have something to trade, you still need hinges?
I’m at this crossroad. I have F1 brakes and the early 1939 brakes. I’d rather have more stopping power than go power . More whoa than go for me. Thank you for explaining this
glad it helped. there are a lot of nostalgic reasons to build a hot rod in the first place... but ya gotta make some sacrifices some times i your jalopy is going to be in modern traffic
As always, a rational examination of the common options. Well done. I’m running F1 brakes on an open-wheel ModelA pickup and it stops great. They worked on a 4,000lb pickup, and almost too good in a 2,000lb hot rod. **another reason I picked F1 is that I have an early Bronco diff; I run early Ford wheels with the 5.5” bolt pattern on both axles. That said, I will be watching your disc brake install with interest.
I have every faith in the f1 bendix style. It should be noted that 5 on 5.5 drilled rotors are available… but it should also be noted that most early ford wheels do not fit over disc brakes
That's funny. I came to the same conclusion 6 months ago while building my model A pickup. I bought a installed but never driven on speedway display kit with the MM metric calipers and 5 on 4½ bolt pattern discs (I am guessing but I think they are mid 1970s Dodge Aspen). I wanted fenders and full caps so I figured you couldn't see the disc brakes without looking. I am also running one of those pedal kits with the '70s Corvette master cylinder and I have no idea who makes the clutch hydraulic cylinder but my thought was on building a driver that I want to be a pleasure to drive so I want to drive it and all of that stuff is relatively hidden unless like you said you crawl under the car and look for it. Back in my twenties I would have drove a car with marginally working brakes that you had the pump just to stop. Today I don't think I would do that. The 21 Dodge roadster I am building after the A pickup is done will be a very traditional 1950 to 55 style build that one will have drum brakes because you will see it all, my thought is it probably will weigh 1,800lbs so even a simple hydraulic brake like a 1947 ford had will stop it great. Glad to see we are on the same page.
It’s funny because it sounds like a lot of us feel the same way about it. But the more I think about it the more I think “traditional hot rodding” was evolving … keep moving forward. Hot rods ran disc brakes as they kept going forward… sure a “period “car would not have them up to the 60’s…. I am not trying to define stuff it’s just funny how much I was influenced by the resurgence of the 50’s style and how frowned on street rods became. The more I think about it street rods were/are just continuing the tradition of upgrading performance with the best new parts available…. I love the nostalgia, the hunt for obsolete speed parts, and the style of the 40’s and 50’s stuff… but I am learning a lot about my strange ego these days when I think about how I turn my nose up at performance parts that don’t fit my narrow window
Glad it was helpful... the mechanical brakes can work and be reliable... but i think it all depends on how often youll be driving faster than they were designed to stop.. and if that driving will be happening on public roads with cars that can stop faster than you
Stopping is more important than looking cool.
it took me tooooo long to get there.. but yep.. for sure
Nothing wrong with discs if done right, but I have F1 brakes on both my deuce roadster and 32 3W coupe - they work great. Vehicle mass has a lot to do with it, F1 brakes on a roadster done right will put you thru the windshield haha.
Agree with your assessment completely even though I’m currently rebuilding a set of 46 brakes on the 46 truck banjo going under my 27 touring. However I have a set of F1 brakes going on the front. Hopefully the setup will work adequately for a 2000ish pound, flathead powered rod. I won’t be running fenders so I can’t stand the idea of disc brakes on it. If it doesn’t stop well I’ll move to better rears and try again.
Excellent explanation of different brake types. I started out in a brake & front end shop in the mid 60's and did many F1 conversions on early ford hotrods. Still have all my adjustment tools for pre-Bendix brakes. Been following this build with much interest.
I think you ll be fine. I think so long as your drums are in spec, and in my experiences the early ford rears are and the fronts are affordable for the f1 you should be just fine... i dont know if the car and truck rear drums are the same, but if so... I have a set laying around if yours are toast.
@@betweenthesharksgarage Thanks for the offer on the drums, I may take you up on that. My research shows they are the same and the front and errs are the same as well, just the hubs are different. Which is an important note, the lug studs are swedged, so the swedge must be cut to remove the drums in order to prevent damaging the drums and/or hubs… you can’t just beat or press out the studs without cutting the swedge. (Video coming soon…) I also may have something to trade, you still need hinges?
I’m at this crossroad. I have F1 brakes and the early 1939 brakes. I’d rather have more stopping power than go power . More whoa than go for me. Thank you for explaining this
glad it helped. there are a lot of nostalgic reasons to build a hot rod in the first place... but ya gotta make some sacrifices some times i your jalopy is going to be in modern traffic
As always, a rational examination of the common options. Well done. I’m running F1 brakes on an open-wheel ModelA pickup and it stops great. They worked on a 4,000lb pickup, and almost too good in a 2,000lb hot rod. **another reason I picked F1 is that I have an early Bronco diff; I run early Ford wheels with the 5.5” bolt pattern on both axles. That said, I will be watching your disc brake install with interest.
I have every faith in the f1 bendix style. It should be noted that 5 on 5.5 drilled rotors are available… but it should also be noted that most early ford wheels do not fit over disc brakes
That's funny.
I came to the same conclusion 6 months ago while building my model A pickup. I bought a installed but never driven on speedway display kit with the MM metric calipers and 5 on 4½ bolt pattern discs (I am guessing but I think they are mid 1970s Dodge Aspen).
I wanted fenders and full caps so I figured you couldn't see the disc brakes without looking. I am also running one of those pedal kits with the '70s Corvette master cylinder and I have no idea who makes the clutch hydraulic cylinder but my thought was on building a driver that I want to be a pleasure to drive so I want to drive it and all of that stuff is relatively hidden unless like you said you crawl under the car and look for it.
Back in my twenties I would have drove a car with marginally working brakes that you had the pump just to stop. Today I don't think I would do that.
The 21 Dodge roadster I am building after the A pickup is done will be a very traditional 1950 to 55 style build that one will have drum brakes because you will see it all, my thought is it probably will weigh 1,800lbs so even a simple hydraulic brake like a 1947 ford had will stop it great.
Glad to see we are on the same page.
It’s funny because it sounds like a lot of us feel the same way about it. But the more I think about it the more I think “traditional hot rodding” was evolving … keep moving forward. Hot rods ran disc brakes as they kept going forward… sure a “period “car would not have them up to the 60’s…. I am not trying to define stuff it’s just funny how much I was influenced by the resurgence of the 50’s style and how frowned on street rods became. The more I think about it street rods were/are just continuing the tradition of upgrading performance with the best new parts available…. I love the nostalgia, the hunt for obsolete speed parts, and the style of the 40’s and 50’s stuff… but I am learning a lot about my strange ego these days when I think about how I turn my nose up at performance parts that don’t fit my narrow window
Excellent video for Sure Go fast car’s need Go fast Brakes
Thanks... most of this is just the my thought process as I build this thing... but yea.. more than ever ... they sure do
Thanks for all the info. I'm planning a vintage T/ A based lake car and I don't want to run the mechanical A brakes
Glad it was helpful... the mechanical brakes can work and be reliable... but i think it all depends on how often youll be driving faster than they were designed to stop.. and if that driving will be happening on public roads with cars that can stop faster than you