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Living and driving in the relatively
flat middle of the continent, I have always
found the stock Model T brakes adequate. They're
not as good as modern brakes, but they're not
the horror story some folks make them out to be.
But if I were going to to do much driving east
of Wheeling or west of Denver I would want to
have a Ruckstell rear axle and auxiliary brakes.
The Ruckstell is the only aftermarket accessory
approved by Henry Ford, sold by Ford dealers,
and included in the Ford parts books. Some folks
have the mistaken idea that it's an overdrive
for going fast. It's not, of course. It's an
underdrive. It's the "missing second gear"
between low and high. When climbing and
descending long grades it allows you to go
faster than the very slow stock Ford low will
do, and it spares the driver from having to keep
the low pedal pressed down tight. Long driving
with the low pedal can make a leg tired,
reducing pressure on the pedal. Reducing
pressure on the pedal can relax the band, which
lets the drum slip, which produces friction,
which produces heat, which burns up the band
lining, and if hot enough breaks the drum.
That's very inconvenient. A second use of the
Rukckstell is going slower than Ford low. This
is helpful for driving in a parade or pulling
stumps.
There are also auxiliary transmissions for the model T (Warford, Muncie, Chicago, and others. These provide gears both above and below the stock Ford gears. They bolt onto the back of the Ford transmission and require a shortened drive shaft. With the Ruckstell or with an auxiliary transmission, extra brakes are a must. The auxiliary brakes can be the modern disk type or external drum brakes like Rocky Mountain, AC, and others. There's no doubt that disk brakes are the most efficient. The question is whether you find the glaringly modern appearance acceptable on your century-old vehicle. Some do, and some don't. If you don't, that leaves external drum brakes. Rocky Mountain brakes are so widely used that some folks don't know of any other kind. The knock on Rockies is that they don't work when wet or in reverse. That can be a problem in a roll-backwards situation like having to stop when headed up a steep hill. Some say that they do work in reverse if installed properly. The second most common external drum brake is AC. Those who use AC brakes say they do work well in reverse as well as forward. |