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1936 C-1 Mechanical Brakes

PostPosted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 3:46 pm
by zathras
I've finally found what I hope is the right C-1 for me and while I'm waiting to get it here I want to do a little homework. The truck has mechanical brakes and that's not going to cut it for me as I intend to make it a fair weather daily driver. I've got a pretty good idea of what's involved with converting to juice brakes (backing plates, wheel cylinders, hoses, lines, master cylinder) and I need to know what the best and hopefully cost effective way is to go about that. Where do I start looking for brake parts? Would I be better off swapping in a later front axle already fitted with hydraulics and, if so, is there anything that's a direct replacement? I'd also like to know if anyone has part numbers for wheel bearings and seals and I'll most likely need king pins as well. I need the truck to be safe and reliable so I'm not going to cut corners.

Many thanks,

- Glenn

Re: 1936 C-1 Mechanical Brakes

PostPosted: Tue Oct 22, 2019 3:19 pm
by nikkinutshop
I hope someone can help you. On this forum it usually takes one person to offer a solution so a bunch will jump in and argue a better solution. Lots of luck.

Re: 1936 C-1 Mechanical Brakes

PostPosted: Wed Oct 23, 2019 9:30 am
by dean466
I don't have any personal experience with the C series, but according to this link https://auto.howstuffworks.com/1937-int ... pickup.htm

the C-1 came with hydraulic brakes starting in February of '36. Parts from a later truck should do the trick, or be a guide as to what would work.

Dean

Re: 1936 C-1 Mechanical Brakes

PostPosted: Wed Oct 23, 2019 12:10 pm
by zathras
Thanks Dean. I try to take information on the how stuff works website with a grain of salt, but I've got a Hollander's coming from eBay that will hopefully shed some light on things. If I can figure anything out I'll post it here.

- Glenn

Re: 1936 C-1 Mechanical Brakes

PostPosted: Wed Oct 30, 2019 6:19 pm
by BlindSquirrel36C-30
Has it arrived? All that you hoped for? Not knowing your exact situation, budget, skill level, timeline, tool and equipment availability, condition of vehicle at start point, restoration or modification. It makes it very difficult to give a one size fits all kind of answer based on one "fair weather daily driver" statement. To be completely and painfully honest, and this depends on what your starting with. But if you don't have about 10K+ lying around and 5 years of your own time to devote to the project. Go find one that meets your requirements and buy it out right. Most projects fail, go way over budget, and don't come in anywhere around the timeline. Now, all that being said. Dive in and make it yours. If I didn't care about purists and I was seeking just a daily driver. I would find a chevy S-10 and start converting. Small block chevys are cheap and plentiful and would easily get you to the daily driver stage also being probably the cheapest route. Or if you're close or up for a road trip. You could come inspect the spare juice front and rear axle I have and make an offer.

Re: 1936 C-1 Mechanical Brakes

PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2019 5:26 pm
by zathras
Hollander's are long on drivetrain information but not so much for suspension, steering and brakes. Once spring comes and I can get to the truck I'll pull the axle out and see what I can find that I can make fit. Since the wheel bolt pattern is Ford/Chrysler 5 on 4.5 I have a lot of brake drums and backing plates so sort through for options.

My dad brought me into his first service station in 1961 and I have a nice shop here at the house with most things I'll need to get the truck back on the road so I have skills and resources. I do however work 8-9 months out of the year so I don't have unlimited time. I'll keep looking for sources of information. And while I'd love to be working with a truck that's in better condition, we all know how hard these trucks are to find, what 80 plus years of hard use have done to survivors, and how many have been poorly hot rodded without any seeming sense of history or aesthetics.