Someone who actually knows what they're talking about will answer your question soon. But my understanding is that -- because the brakes don't self-equalize as hydraulic ones do -- one must adjust them often. Once you know the procedure it isn't hard to do so, but it's one of those maintenance tasks that take time. If the brakes are not adjusted, one or two will be doing all the work and because of that, you'll have to press harder on the brake pedal than you would with hydraulic brakes.

Jon,
Thanks for the reply. Will check into adjusting the brakes. The car will stop but requires more pressure than I expect.

Bill,

Have you had the chance to pull either or both of the front hubs to check the brakes for excessive wear? The front hubs are pretty easy to get off, the rear ones are a pain. Do the brakes pull to one side or squeal or chatter? Check the inside area of the rear hubs. Do they have what looks like an oil leak anywhere? If so, that might be oil from the rear seals allowing oil onto the brake shoes.

On my 35T the brakes pulled to one side badly so I pulled all the hubs and had the brakes relined and the hubs turned. Even with all of that I need to apply a little more pressure than hydraulic brakes. That said, now the car stops well for a car of that vintage.

There are guys on here that have a lot more experience than I do and will have better ideas but that is how I dealt with my problem.

Also, make sure that the pivot point is lubricated, where the pedal cable attaches to the part that transfers the pressure to the individual wheel cables. Then, at the hub, where the cable enters the hub, you will see that the cable enters a steel tube and then into the hub itself. Make sure that the cable moves freely in that tube. The tube can get clogged with dirt , etc. and impede or prevent the cable from actually activating the brake mechanism.

If you do not have a "Hudson Mechanical Procedure Manual" for that era I would suggest you try to get one. They are very useful.

Mike

You might want to mention the year of Hudson that you have.

Mike,
I have a 35 Terraplane for about 6 weeks now and trying to get used to it. The brakes stop the car OK and does not pull to either side but does require a lot of pedal pressure ( twice as much as my 66 Ford galaxie which does not have power brakes ). I will pull the drums and check everything and will also get shop manual. Thanks so much for the things to check. I think your comment about pedal pressure required on your 35 indicates my 35 has some problems that maybe can be corrected.
Thanks again for your reply. I am very pleased with this forum with the help give.

Bill,

Glad to help if I can. The guys on this forum and what is now the "old forum" have been a great help to me. You have come to the right place. If you are not already, consider becoming a member of the HET club.

Also, post some photos of your car when you get a chance.

Mike

Mike,
Thanks for the reply. I have added photo. Hope it was OK. I plan to re-do some things on the car ( want to keep it as original as I can ) and will post more pics then.
Best regards

Bill,

When you remove the rear brake drums, use a puller, not a "knock-off"tool. Using a tool that requires hitting the end of the axle is bad for Hudson axles. Something at the inner end of the axle breaks off. Hopefully you can borrow a suitable puller from a parts supply store.

Per