I'm thinking about running spindle mount wheels on the front of my T bucket. Common sense tells me this is a bad idea for a street car. The car is running old hurst/airheart on front now and stock 57 chevy drums in the rear. anybody have any ideas?..thanks
Your common sense is trying to save you. Don't remove the front brakes! I ran a lightweight car many years ago with no front brakes and a Lincoln rear end that had disc brakes. I had waaaay too many close calls because I couldn't brake fast enough. Plus, if you have a dual reservoir master cylinder, if the brakes on one axle fail, you still have the other ones....
Don't. In some states its against the law, anyways. Good way to get your car impounded. In the 60's, I had a few friends running without front brakes. Looked cool, until they had to stop suddenly. One time I was following a buddy of mine as he slid right through a red light with the back tires locked up and damn near killed himself and his girlfriend. Another time, I was riding with him and he smacked into the car in front of him...no damage, but was a wake-up call. Do yourself a favor, don't do it. Looking cool over safety is always a bad choice. Besides that, to veteran rodders like me, you don't look cool and much as dumb...
Your common sense is right on the money. My "T" weights in at only 1200 pounds. The front brakes does most of the work stopping it eventhough it is super light weight. There are several good disc brake set-ups available that are small sized and blend in where they don't spoil the looks. I wouldn't risk a crack up due to lack of brakes in an open car like a T-Bucket. Good Luck!
I agree with running the front brakes, but sounds to me more like your buddy needs to learn how to drive.
No he was a good driver, just didn't have a car that would stop. The incident was 40 years ago. My buddy was killed a few years later in Viet Nam. I don't care how good a driver you are, if you don't have a car that can stop correctly. Thanks for your thoughtful input.
Sorry to hear about his fate. Not knocking him directly, but cars have a braking distance,,,,,all cars, 4 wheel brakes too. It is one thing if someone pulls out in front of you from a side street giving you no time to react, but if you hit someone from behind, that is driver error. Most states (all?) have laws worded that if you hit someone from the rear,, you are at fault. The reason for that is simple, a good driver knows his stopping distance and should adjust accordingly for anything that should happen in front of the car in front of him. If he had no front brakes and a less effective stopping stystem, then HE did not adjust accordingly the time he rear ended the car.
Yes front Brakes, I have a T- Bucket that was built some time around late '60s early '70s when it was cool not to have front brakes. Been looking for a front set up as mine has the motorcycle front wheel and tires. I drive mine a bunch but always on the look out for quick stops.
run front brakes that way we won't be reading a post about how you crashed your T and met an early demise........... I don't know if they have hotrods in heaven....
Not debating one over the other......but if you want to run 18" 12 spokes, you can easily use brakes with them.....just go semi-period and use Halibrand spot brakes or Airheart, or similar and smaller rotors. I think you'd look and function fine. Like was mentioned, however, it's a t-bucket....brakes or not, it is NOT the safest, road handling-est vehicle out there, leave PLENTY of cushion and BE CAREFUL!!!
I had a total performance T years ago with spindle mount centerlines & disc brakes, so go with the brakes & spindle mounts!
I feel like a dad but didn.t we have a post just before xmas of a young guy killing himself in a bucket T.Don't remember if we were talking "no front brakes" but one day you will HAVE to pull up quick and those buckets do get out of shape at emergency stop time!!Mine did anyhow.
ok fellas, restored the Airhearts this week and threw on a pair of 15x4.5 Americans. Looks early sixties like I wanted and as safe as a T bucket with 450HP can be! Thanks for the input.
pictures soon to come. have the body off right now, should be picture worthy by the end of the weekend. I do have a ****py pic in my album before the re-construction started. it's my dad's old Fad T he gave me, so we are semi-restoring it to it's early sixties glory....Thanks Steve
Most T buckets weigh in around 1500 to 2200#. Difference is engine size(big block-small block), frame material especially wall thickness, transmission (iron 'glide or torqueflite vs aluminum anything), and rearend (8" or 9" Ford vs late 50s Olds/Pontiac).
Our t bucket does not have front brakes. It stops plenty quickly. We drive this car past cops and they have not given us any problems. I don't have any second thoughts driving this car at 70 down the highway.
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