In the relatively flat middle of North America the stock Model T can get around pretty well. But if you intend to do much driving west of Denver or east of Wheeling, you will be well-advised to install a couple of aftermarket accessories that make driving in steep country safer and more enjoyable. They aren't cheap, but they are a good investment.

For climbing long grades too steep for Ford's usual high gear, holding down the low pedal as you creep to the top will soon lose its charm. In such a case there are several auxiliary transmissions to deal with the situation. But many of them will require several inconvenient alterations of the drive train. So here I'll concentrate on the only alteration approved by Henry Ford and sold at Ford dealerships. That is the Ruckstell two-speed rear axle. It adds a third choice between Ford's high and low gears, allowing the vehicle to ascend a grade more conveniently. It allows driving faster than the crawl of low gear,  and prevents left leg cramps from holding down the low pedal for extended periods. There are Ruckstells made for 1909-1925 cars, 1926-1927 cars, and ton trucks.

Sounds great, doesn't it? But with a Ruckstell or auxiliary transmission it's possible sometimes for the brake in the transmission to lose its connection to the rear wheels. Free wheeling, with no brake, can lead to serious trouble. For that reason, auxiliary (extra) brakes are practically a requirement if you have a Ruckstell or an auxiliary transmission.

 Some people add modern brakes of various kinds, but here I'll deal with two kinds of extra brakes from the Model T era. Rocky Mountain Brakes (Rockies) are best known. In fact many people are unaware that any other kind of extra brakes exist. That lesser-known choice is AC Brakes. What's the difference?  The knock on Rockies is that they don't work, or don't work as well as they should, if you are rolling backward. It's not hard to imagine situations where that could be dangerous. In that regard, AC brakes are said to work well in both directions.

         
          Model T era AC advertising                                                                                           Current AC contact info

This page from Mitch Taylor gives many details about the Rocky Mountain brakes  currently available from many Model T parts dealers:
https://www.fordmodelt.net/rocky-mountain-brakes.htm



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