Brakes: Who knew the brake pedal travel was so important?

[StudeMann]

I was reading through my 51 repair manual and noticed the instructions about the recommended brake pedal travel indicating 1/8" - 1/4" free travel before the brake rod began to activate the master cylinder. Mine was set at about 3" - 4" pedal travel! There was still about 4" to the floor so I had not been concerned about it until I saw how much I was off from the recommended pedal travel.

I adjusted it to about 3/4" free travel and I was astounded at how much better the brakes worked. It must have something to do with the geometry of the pedal pivot relative to the brake rod connection because I can definitely get more pressure on the brakes now. I need to get used to my new 'sensitive' brakes - don't want to throw my wife through the windshield!

[studegary]

It sounds to me like you are confusing free pedal travel with pedal travel before action/stopping.

[StudeRich]

You can accomplish the same thing by adjusting the brake shoes closer when they are loose.
More "braking pedal Travel" = More Stopping!
The Free Travel is Necessary to allow the air to bleed out, but too much means Less Braking Power.

It would be like having 2 1/2- 3 Inches of Clutch Pedal Free Travel, you could not fully release the pressure plate.

[StudeMann]

I replaced the brake shoes about 500 miles ago and adjusted the shoes at that time so they should be pretty close to the drums. I don’t think it was the brake shoes being loose that was causing so much pedal travel but I’ll jack it up and check the shoe adjustment again.

Before I adjusted the brake rod I could push the pedal 3” with no resistance at all. That seems to me like the Rod wasn’t yet touching the piston in the MC.

[bensherb]

The Free Travel is Necessary to allow the air to bleed out, but too much means Less Braking Power.

?? The free play is there to insure that the piston fully returns to it's idle position so the brake fluid can exit the system and return to the master cylinder. If the fluid can't return to the master cylinder the brakes will not release after application.