If you were going to buy one, what would you say is the best type and why? I have a redo coming up on the brake lining for my 26.
Are most folks happy with the linings sold by the common suppliers for 26 brakes?
In the past, I've used this tool sold by Snyders for transmission bands. I've never done brake linings, so my input will probably be of limited use to you.
http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/3898
However, I've found that when doing transmission bands, a flat-blade screwdriver or a regular punch works just as well, as long as you can embed the tines in the band material, and in some cases, they even work better than the tool.
If I had to do brake linings, I would use this tool, also available from Snyders. It's inexpensive and looks to be pretty strait-forward to use.
http://www.snydersantiqueauto.com/130
If it's anything like relining transmission bands, at first it appears to be a formidable task, but once you start doing it, you realize that it's actually pretty simple.
This is one of the best for a floor model but somewhat scarce. I also have the small, hold in the vise version and it works fine.
I always just used a small ball pein hammer and a screwdriver.
Spread the rivet with with a screwdriver and use the ball pein hammer to finish spreading the rivet and seating in the band.
Works on any band using split rivets.
Use a wood block or some stable surface to use as a bucking bar to hammer against.
This is a farmboy method but its simple and very effective. And best of all it works well.
I just riveted the bands for the emergency brake on my improved roadster with aluminum pop rivets (4mm) that fit my pre drilled bands just right. The bands were on the thick side at 5mm (a tad over 3/16") and may turn out to be hard to fit. New Old Reproduction Stock eBay finds, can't comment on the linings from the vendors.
Wow, I will keep an eye out for tools but, in the mean time, wont feel bad if I have to do it with the currently available "improvised" tools.
Pop rivet idea is intriguing but does it have a hard steel inside stem?
Steve, I would love to find one of those, but wont hold my breath
Here is what I used for my brake bands 40 years ago and it worked great! I got it through JC Whitney and it didn't cost much either. I most recently used it in 2010 to attached my Guinn wooden transmission band linings to the bands. Jim Patrick
If using pop rivets for wood bands running in the T trans, then I would punch the little steel balls out of the rivets and after that give the rivets an extra punch - the balls could make some damage in there if getting loose. In the rear hub it's different. The steel balls sits on the inside of the steel brake shoes, they shouldn't be able to score the brake drums.
I just lined the bands for my '27 Tudor.
I used a 2 oz ball peen hammer, a blunt screwdriver to open the tangs, a center punch to spread them and peened them the rest of the way.
Roger. After counter-sinking and drilling the wood linings using the above counter-sinking bit, I used the 9/64" dia. x 9/32" long brass tubular rivets to secure the wood linings to my bands. I couldn't have been more pleased with the results.
If you have the money to spend on a big floor model riveting tool, good for you. I'm sure they do a great job, but my little vice held riveter will perform just as well on any Model T job at a fraction of the cost. Jim Patrick
I have one question about using aluminum pop rivets.Do you think that they are strong enough ?
The reason that I am asking is that I have used them to attach small light weight metal mud flaps onto the bottom part of the fenders of my pickup truck.Everyone that I have used has had to be replaced.
There is a lot of stress on the bands & I wouldn't want anyone to have any problems with bands coming loose or off.
Scott
Scott, it's just my preference but I prefer the brass tubular rivets over the aluminum pop rivets since I feel they are stronger and with the right tools, it doesn't take hardly anymore effort to install a brass tubular rivet. I absolutely do not like the split rivets on the wooden linings and rear brake linings which can be countersunk, because I have difficulty getting them as tight as I need them, but split rivets are okay on Scandanavian and other soft linings into which the tines can embed themselves. Jim Patrick
Scott, The forces acting on rivets attaching bands in transmissions and linings on brake shoes is mainly shearing. Alu rivets would be strong enough to withstand the shearing forces.
Nowadays the standard attaching method for brake bands is glueing - glue has the same weakness as the pop rivets holding your mud flaps - they can take plenty of shearing forces, but much less of a tearing force.
(I wouldn't try glueing emergency brake bands at home and it wouldn't trust glue in the hot oily environment inside the trans)
Here's a bunch of different rivet set tools that have accrued here over the years.
What is a good source for those tube type brass rivets? Seems a guy could use his lathe and make up a decent rivet set tool also.
Actually the shear stress on the rivets should be very small. Since static friction is more then dynamic or sliding friction, the friction between the brake lining material and the brake shoe should always be more then the friction between the brake material and the moving brake drum. It would seem that the main purpose of the rivets is to hold the brake lining in place on the shoe when the brakes are not applied.
Jim
Erich,
McMaster-Carr has most all the rivets and hardware you could ever need !
Here's a bunch of different rivet set tools that have accrued here over the years.
Jay, the Rivet machines you show there are NOT automotive, they are, and still being made for leather, mainly for horse harness. Just about every man that owned a horse, had one of those. They are made for Tubular Rivets, and leather.
Herm.
www.mcmaster.com is where I purchased my tubular brass rivets. Jim Patrick