Saw a program recently where the restoraton/hot rod hop were installing the Tesla brake system in all of their rebuilds. Apparently they stop on a dime so I imagine an upgrade over the present drums would be in order. Also read the electric power steering onthe Prius would work on our trucks. Anyone know anything about this?
1949 Chevy 1/2-Ton "Sedgewick" In the Gallery 1989 Caprice
The only electric brakes I know of are the ones on trailers. They work with an electromagnet system moving the shoes into contact with the drums. I doubt they would really work very effectively on a truck or car, but I'm not really sure.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Trailer brakes are NOISY! The magnets drag on a flat disc inside the drums and set up an annoying scrub and screech, and a lever arm applies the braking force to expand the shoes against the drums. they're also extremely sensitive to the amount of current applied to the magnet, going from barely slowing the trailer down to wheel lockup with just a tiny increase in voltage to the magnetic coils. I don't think Uncle Sam prints enough money to bribe me to drive a vehicle with all-electric brakes! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
The noisy part isn't a big issue if they're on a trailer --- that's behind you. But it would be annoying if they were on a vehicle. I would always be checking to see what's wrong. And barely working to wheel lockup is an issue between a loaded and unloaded trailer. The controller needs to be adjusted to match the load.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
How fast are you planning on driving a 75 year old truck? How short of a stopping distance do you need?
I drive my truck at 60 on the freeway and drum brakes stop the vehicle as they should without any fuss or danger. Over 10,000 miles in the last few years. Properly adjusted Huck brakes work well, don't pull or grab, and stopping distance isn't dangerous.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
The power steering setup work pretty good if you spend the money on a good system. I was around some guys who installed a aftermarket Prius type system on a early Corvette. The owner bought the cheaper of the two systems that fit the car, he should have bought the better one! The main issue was the machining of the shaft and spacers, it had so much wobble, the steering wheel even wobbled. One of the installers was a machinist so getting the wobble out wasn't all that difficult, a new coupler and all was good. It was pretty neat, with key off it was just like a stock Corvette, with key on, it took just one finger to turn lock to lock. Just keep in mine, it still had the factory slow steering box, it was just much easier to turn. The Vette steering was just like our trucks with solid shaft from box to wheel, the electric setup, required removing a section of the shaft and a couple of couplers and some work with a file to make flats on the original shaft sections.
The Tesla brakes are just bragging points for those who don't really know much.
How fast do I drive a 75 year old truck? Years ago on the highway I could cruise at 50 but now city driving is 30. Its not the speed, its the entitled people in their big SUV's who do not believe in stop signs. Or the pedestrians who feel they are invincible and walk out onto a crosswalk when they see you coming. Or the cyclists who now own the road(s) in this city. Stop signs, traffic lights are ignored and hand signals are not part of their mantra.
1949 Chevy 1/2-Ton "Sedgewick" In the Gallery 1989 Caprice
I'm right there with you. Driving inside the city limits of Atlanta is a daily game of Dodge'm cars. Nevertheless, I've found that the properly restored and adjusted Huck brakes to function as well as the brakes on any of my other vehicles. They'll stop on a dime at 30mph.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
I recently completed a 4 wheel disc conversion on my 1958 4400 1.5 ton. The issue prior was that even good brakes it would stop but it wouldn't stop NOW.. With the 4 wheel disc and Hydrobooster it stops before NOW. It sure makes driving a 62 year old Truck in today's traffic a dream.
~ Craig 1958 Viking 4400 "The Book of Thor" Read the story in the DITY 1960 Chevrolet C10 "A Family Heirloom" Follow the story in the DITY Gallery '59 Apache 31, 327 V8 (0.030 over), Muncie M20 4 Speed, GM 10 Bolt Rear... long term project (30 years and counting)
If you don't like driving yourTruck, you won't drive yourTruck..| Living life in the SLOW lane
I suppose I'm the exception. I've never owned any modern cars so driving antique cars is normal for me. I don't overdrive their capabilities and I don't miss what I don't have.
I suppose if I drove modern cars like everybody else, I'd complain about the performance of my antique vehicles. As it is, they perform exactly as I expect them to without any surprises.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
All it takes is one idiot pull out in front of you to change your mind. I don't over drive my truck, it usually never gets much over 50 MPH. The uninsured illegal resident who turned into the path of my friends stock 66 Nova didn't care either.
Last I checked this was the HIPO forum....
Last edited by TUTS 59; 01/02/202511:42 PM.
~ Craig 1958 Viking 4400 "The Book of Thor" Read the story in the DITY 1960 Chevrolet C10 "A Family Heirloom" Follow the story in the DITY Gallery '59 Apache 31, 327 V8 (0.030 over), Muncie M20 4 Speed, GM 10 Bolt Rear... long term project (30 years and counting)
If you don't like driving yourTruck, you won't drive yourTruck..| Living life in the SLOW lane
Maybe, but I've been driving only antique cars my entire life in the city of Atlanta and haven't had any brake related problems. I don't overdrive my vehicles and I keep a sharp eye out for potential trouble.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
I'm installing EPAS Performance model specific electric power steering with a Howe 1.5 steering quickener and a 15.5" steering wheel I made from a 56 wheel for the turn signal mechanism. This takes my stock box from the stock 22:1 to a modern 14.6:1. I'm running Wilwood 12.88" ultralight rotors with 6/4 piston calipers. I have a scroll type vacuum pump and duel diaphragm booster because of the blower on my 292. This is a drag and drive build and plan 165 MPH in the 1320 in race mode. I don't like all this drive by wire stuff.
Wow!! I'd sure like to see pics of that engine! Did you make a girdle to shore up the bottom end? Looks like a lot more HP than the Chevy engineers ever imagined for that engine.
Wow!! I'd sure like to see pics of that engine! Did you make a girdle to shore up the bottom end? Looks like a lot more HP than the Chevy engineers ever imagined for that engine.
It's a work in progress. Billet crank, solid roller billet cam and steel billet rods all by Crower. Billet mains dowelled and girdled. 5 stage dry sump. Ryan Falconer V-12 head 340I/220E. 6-71/nitrous. expecting 1200 HP in race mode. I don't want to hijack this post.