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Street Rod Brake Upgrade
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In many ways, hot rod builders are on their own when it comes to brake system component
selection and system design. Unlike any of the production-based brake upgrades discussed this
far, building a hot rod from scratch (or even from a kit) entails a unique collection of brake system
considerations and constraints. With custom frames, powerful drivelines, modified bodies, and
cut-and-paste suspension systems, there is little opportunity to learn from the original vehicle when
the time comes to create your own hot rod brake system.
Yet the laws of physics still apply in these applications, making basic brake system design criteria
just as important here as they were in Chapters 11, 12, and 13. The pages that follow will expose
you to some of the most common design compromises, hardware considerations, and installation
pitfalls that are either unique to, or exaggerated by, hot rod brake systems.
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The Vehicle
The subject of this hot rod brake upgrade project began life as a 1940 Ford pickup truck. Although
it still possesses some token bits of the original body and frame, little else resembles what rolled off
of the assembly line over 60 years ago. Custom roadster coachwork, independent front
suspension, Chevy power under the hood, and a host of complex chassis changes only begin to
describe the level of change this truck has experienced.
Although originally equipped with hydraulic brakes (mechanical brakes were only dropped the year
before in 1939), the single-circuit master cylinder and four-wheel drum brake layout was dated at
best. Therefore, as long as the rest of the truck was being significantly modified and updated, the
brake system was upgraded as well.
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We were fortunate to catch this 1940
Ford hot rod pickup in the middle of its
own brake upgrade project. When
embarking on your own hot rod brake
system upgrade, it sure helps to have
the vehicle up off the ground in a clean
and well-lit garage. If possible, having
most of the body and powertrain out of
the way makes the job that much
easier. (Randall Shafer)
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The Objective
Like most vehicles of this type, this hot rod was primarily designed for cruising along on a Sunday
afternoon drive. Therefore, increased thermal capacity was not high on the list of needs or wants.
At the same time, optimizing brake pedal feel was not critical for the truck’s intended use. In short,
the most important brake system performance requirement was to slow the truck in a stable fashion
during emergency-type events. Naturally, the parts had to look good (since that’s a big part of what
hot rodding is all about), but performing a single stop quickly and reliably from a moderate speed
was the most stringent brake system performance design target.
Front Brake Upgrade
The forward frame rails of the truck had already been modified to accept one of the most common
independent front suspensions used in the hot rodding community. Lifted straight from a Ford
Mustang II, this setup can be found hanging off the front end of countless hot rods today. In this
application, the upper and lower control arms had already been replaced with custom tubular
pieces, but the front uprights, bearings, and brake hardware were straight from the Ford parts bin.
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It took a significant amount of
modification to adapt a Mustang II front
suspension to the stock front frame
rails. However, the front brake
hardware remains essentially
unchanged from the Mustang II design.
Note that many hot rodders upgrade
their Mustang II front end with a set of
11.0-inch diameter rotors and
aftermarket caliper mounting brackets.
(Randall Shafer)
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Chosen more for availability and fitment than for thermal mass and effective radius, the front rotors
measured a relatively small 9.0 inches in diameter and 0.9 inches in thickness. Although the
straight vanes in the vented friction discs were not expected to be as efficient as curved vanes
would have been, any front rotors would be more thermally robust that the stock front drums.
Like the front rotors, the front calipers were chosen more for convenience than for performance.
These remanufactured single-piston calipers were based on the original Mustang II floating design.
Their compact dimensions were the final consideration, as this would lead to flexibility in wheel
selection later in the project.
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The Mustang II front brake calipers
contain relatively large brake pads
held in place by floating caliper bodies.
The single piston in each caliper was
designed to be offset relative to the
center of the rotor friction disc,
resulting in a larger effective radius. In
plain English, this means higher gain is
possible in a smaller package.
(Randall Shafer)
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Although a more modern Ford rear axle had been installed, in the interest of both time and money it
was decided to leave the rear drum brakes in place. Of course they would receive a fresh coat of
paint and fresh internal components, but with so little weight over the rear tires there was no reason
to improve their performance. Even though it was still a pickup truck, its heavy hauling days were
over.
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While the stock single-circuit master
cylinder was swapped for a tandem
unit, its location under the vehicle was
retained. The tight confines dictated
that an opening be cut in the floorpan
to allow access to the brake fluid
reservoir. Check out the elegant
routing of the custom-bent brake lines!
(Randall Shafer)
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Brake Pedal Considerations
In 1940, vacuum boosters were still several decades away from becoming mainstream brake
system components. Therefore, because the truck was originally built without a vacuum booster (in
other words, built with manual brakes), the brake pedal ratio was exceptionally high compared to
conventional standards. Employing a pedal ratio of approximately 8.0:1, the stock brake pedal was
required to swing through a relatively long arc as brake pressure was generated in the master
cylinder.
Since the truck’s master cylinder was originally mounted beneath the floor of the vehicle, retrofitting
a vacuum booster, even one with a relatively small diameter, would have been difficult at best.
While upgrading to vacuum-assisted brakes would have been desirable from both a gain and pedal
feel standpoint, in the end the stock manual pedal assembly was kept intact. In fact, with the
exception of a thorough visual inspection and a fresh coat of paint, the pedal was lifted straight
from 1940 without alteration.
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This hot rod builder chose to retain the
long, spindly stock brake pedal on the
right without modification. Without the
benefit of a vacuum booster, the pedal
ratio needs to be as high as possible
to maximize overall brake system gain.
The pedal on the left originally
operated the clutch, but was later
removed since an automatic
transmission was being installed.
(Randall Shafer)
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For improved pedal spacing, it was
necessary to cut off the brake pedal
pad prior to installing the brake pedal
assembly. Once the final positioning of
the steering column and floorpan were
determined, the pedal pad was welded
back in place. Notice the aftermarket
chrome throttle pedal seen hanging off
of the firewall to the right. (Randall
Shafer)
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Residual Pressure Valves
In many hot rod applications, the master cylinder is mounted below the hydraulic components at the
wheel ends (disc brake calipers and drum brake wheel cylinders). Thanks to gravity, this
arrangement results in brake fluid flowing from the wheel end components back to the master
cylinder reservoir when it’s not pressurized. When the brakes are next applied, reduced pressure is
available, accompanied by excessive brake pedal travel.
In order to prevent this phenomenon from occurring, a residual pressure valve can be installed in
one or more of the brake lines. Acting much like a one-way flow restrictor at low pressures, these
devices hold a constant amount of pressure at the wheel ends, preventing fluid from draining back
to the master cylinder when the brakes are not applied.
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Any time you’re using a low-mounted
master cylinder, it’ll be necessary to
install one residual pressure valve for
each hydraulic circuit (blue and red).
As long as they’re installed in the
proper orientation, their physical
location in the hydraulic system
doesn't matter. For ease of service
and inspection, though, it makes sense
to mount them where they’ll be readily
accessible.
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When using a residual pressure valve,
it’s important to install it in the correct
orientation. For this reason, the inlet
and outlet port assignments are
usually stamped or engraved in the
valve body. The 10-psi rating found
etched into this valve indicates that it’s
suitable for use with drum brake
hardware. A 2-psi valve would be used
for disc brakes. (Randall Shafer)
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Based on the type of brake being used at a particular corner, different levels of residual pressure
are appropriate to prevent drain back. Generally speaking, disc brakes require approximately 2 to 5
psi valves, while drum brakes, due mostly to their built-in retraction springs, work best with 10-to-15
psi valves.
If you’re unsure of the relationship between your master cylinder and the wheel end components,
it's best to be conservative and install a pair of valves. Even if drain back is not a problem, installing
these valves does not pose any other negative performance impact to your vehicle’s brake system
operation. When in doubt, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
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Previous
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This has been a sample page from
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High-Performance Brake Systems
Design, Selection, and Installation
by James Walker, Jr.
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High-Performance Brake Systems: Design, Selection, and
Installation gives you the knowledge to upgrade your brakes the
right way the first time. Author James Walker, Jr. doesn’t just tell
you what to do—he uses over 330 photos and plain English to
help you understand how and why your brake system works, what
each of the components does, and how to intelligently upgrade
your brakes for better performance. There are chapters showing
you how to choose and install the most effective rotors, calipers,
pads, and tires for your sports car, muscle car, race car, and
street rod. You will even find special sidebars detailing how each
upgrade will affect your ABS.
Brakes might be one of the most important, yet least understood,
vehicle systems. Brakes are relied upon day in and day out
without giving a second thought to their condition, let alone their
purpose, function, or design. Brake systems can be intimidating,
and they aren’t usually the first thing the average horsepower
junkie chooses to upgrade. But there’s no reason to wait until you
have a problem to learn how your brakes work. Whether you are
a casual enthusiast, a weekend warrior, or a professional racer,
this book will tell you everything you need to know about brakes.
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Click below to view a sample
page from each chapter
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Chap. 1 - Energy Conversion
Chap. 2 - Tires Stop the Car
Chap. 3 - System Design
Chap. 4 - Brake Balance
Chap. 5 - Pedal & Master Cyl
Chap. 6 - Brake Fluid
Chap. 7 - Lines and Hoses
Chap. 8 - Brake Calipers
Chap. 9 - Brake Pads
Chap. 10 - Brake Rotors
Chap. 11 - Sports Car Brakes
Chap. 12 - Race Car Brakes
Chap. 13 - Muscle Car Brakes
Chap. 14 - Street Rod Brakes
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8-1/2 x 11"
Softbound
144 pages
330+ color photos
Item: SA126
Price: $21.95
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Click here to buy now!
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This is a great book that any performance enthusiast will love!
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Other items you might be interested in
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Sport Compact Turbos & Blowers
While most owners of sport compacts can afford the simple bolt-ons
available, some owners want to take their modifications a step further.
There is intense competition to be the fastest, and quite often the only
way to win is to go to the next level – by installing a supercharger /
blower or turbocharger on your engine. This book is an enthusiast’s
guide to understanding and using turbochargers and superchargers
on sport compact cars.
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Price:
$18.95
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