Mechanical Brakes

[Skydivematt]

Anyone have any advice concerning rebuilding the old mechanical brakes verses changing to Cleveland wheels and brakes? Approximate prices for each? (1946 BC12-D).

[Robert Lees]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

The old drum brakes, Matt?

I love them. Light, reliable & easy to maintain. Have a read of this for my opinion of them.

Rob

[Fred]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

Rob, thanks. I need to install new linings. I had never considered glueing them, looks better than rivets. THANK YOU. Fred

[Robert Lees]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

Fred, thanks for the compliment...but make sure your IA is happy with what you do.

Rob

[PT13Pilot]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

Mechanical brakes on the Tcraft are the best of the mechanicals in my opinion. Setup properly they have all the power you need, good feel, and last a long time since the linings go all the way around.
I'm an IA and I probably wouldn't beat you with a rubber hose if you glued them in, but since they wear out, consider how long it will take you to chip them out of there when they need replaced again, and the likelyhood of busting the wheel doing so. Or if you get them in crooked or something. 60+ years can't be wrong.
I was lucky enough to have a little ziplock bag handed to me by a former Luscombe owner a couple years ago. Inside were the spot facer/countersink bit to drill the linings, and rivet squeezers dies to set the rivets with a small rivet squeezer. They work flawlessly and having the right tools makes installing them a snap.
So before you go stirring JB weld, T88 or whatever, you're welcome to send me the wheels halves, linings and rivets and I'd be glad to install them for you. You'd just be down the shipping time. And that offer's good to anyone else on here FYI. I wouldn't loan the little jewels, but would be glad to help someone do it right.
CJ

[flyguy]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

It is more work than money, that is for sure. Now I remember why the drill bit that is missing out of my set is stored in another drawer with a reworked flat tip on it LOL.
That wasn't exactly a whole lot of fun, but they sure work nice now.

Hope anyone who needs brake linings appreciates what a nice offer CJ has made here.

Darryl

[PT13Pilot]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

I was amazed how easy it is with the right tools. I fit the linings to the wheel with just a hint of "preload" and they stay tight in the wheel, clamp them just in case, drill the holes then jerk them out and use the drill press. The spot facer bit I have drills a perfect, burr free, flat bottomed hole for the flat head of the rivet. I just eyeball the depth. I'll look at the tools I have and figure out what size the spot facer is. It's similar to the one I use on Cessna seat rails as required when you use screws to install them (although no one else seems to!). I have no idea where the rivet dies were bought. The flat one would be easy enough. But the side that rolls the stem into a bead might be more fun to find. It's just like a standard die in a cleveland style brake rivet tool, but it fits a hand rivet squeezer. Maybe I can find a source for them.
They are time consuming to change, but considering how long they last, getting them right the first time is more than worth it. I'm 99.9% sure the last linings I did were origional linings.
CJ

[PT13Pilot]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

Just for grins I looked on Aircraft Tools website. They have a 2 piece rivet die set for clevelands so you could squeeze the rivets with that (if you already have a hand squeezer of course), they are $22.95 for the set. A spot face is another $20 and the pilot is another $10. I'll figure out the sizes and get a parts list together and post them after I measure mine.
CJ

[Frank DeBartolo]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

My IA would like to have the parts list for the spot facer, pilot, and 2 piece rivet die set for Clevelands. My IA would like to purchase these tools. Is there anything else I need to know to get the correct tools. The IA thinks that according to what you described, the tools can counter sink the rivets in the brakes for the Shinn Wheels and also can be used for Cleveland Brakes as well.

Thanks,

Frank D
N43684

[jim cooper]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

If you have shinns, find someone who knows them well. I have always flown T-crafts with Shinns and they work fine! Plenty of brake for the T-Craft. Clevelands are expensive, a status symbol of some type, and can have a low time pilot upside down in a moment. Just imagine how many hours T-Crafts were flown with Shinn brakes since T Crafts were born! You should have just enough brake to keep it stopped while running it up or maybe creeping forward very slowly. The fellow I got my T-Craft from has rebuilt four. LIKES Shinn Brakes alot! JC (PS. when I mention "Clevelands, I mean rotor-stator type clevelands.)

[Frank DeBartolo]

Re: Mechanical Brakes

Yeah, I like my Shinns a lot also and do not intend to change to Clevelands, however I would like to install new brake linings on the wheels and need the tool to make the countersunk holes for the rivets. So, if anyone knows which tools to buy and where, I would like to know. Reading PT13 Pilot's thread, we assumed that the same tools he was talking about would also work on the Aeronca Champs on the field that the IA also maintains. If anyone knows, let me know.

Thanks

FrankD