(ET) Brakes on the E-15

[Lee Richardson <lrichard jbc edu>]

>From Lee in Tennessee

Several people (3) have asked for details about my brake conversion project
on the E-15.  I've been putting them off because I don't remember the
details!  This was 20 years ago!  I can hardly remember past yesterday most
of the time.  Anyway I took off the left rear wheel a couple of days ago
and took a good look at it and tried to deduce what I must have done!

What I did was to replace the pathetic disk brake with a drum brake.  I
bought the drum brake at a local store (in Knoxville, TN) which is no
longer in business.  If I were going to try to do it today I think I would
start with the people who handle Peerless transmission parts.  The drum is
4 1/4" inside diameter, 1" deep, with a center hole 1 5/8" which just
exactly fits the hub on the transmission where the disk was mounted.

So strip off the disk and all related stuff.  Mount the back plate with the
brake shoes on the transmission case.  Put the drum on the axle hub.  I
think I had to bore new screw holes for it.

I had to replace the brake pedal as well.  I found a nice lever (12" to 15"
long) on an old road grader and welded a mount for it on the frame next to
where the old brake pedal was.  Then I bent the connecting rod to fit.

It has worked real nice now for 20 years.  Of course the brake is now a
hand brake but it works a lot better.  I have some gradual braking control
which I didn't have before.  Also using the brake now does not disconnect
the motor like the old one did.  I sure don't want the motor disconnected
when going down hills as it makes the best brake of all.

That's about it except to say this idea was not original with me.  I got it
from my friend, Fred Peck, who had done the same thing with his E-12.