backing plates for '33 Terraplane 8

glynes

Prior owner of my basket case '33 Terraplane 8, installed backing plates from an MG TD. Problem is the rear backing plates are fronts and don't have a parking brake feature. I'd like to find replacement backing plates I can use. Any ideas?

tombia

Macanical or juice brakes?

glynes

I'd like to go juice as the car was already partially converted.

eddiehudson

Years ago Al Mueller put Jet brakes on his 33 T8 roadster.

glynes

Do you know if the bolt patterns match?

barrysweet52

Around 1940 the backing plates and brake drums will fit your car.

tombia

My 33 had stepdown brakes on it, Hornet all the way around. Only change was to use 33 inner bearings in front and I also used a stepdown rear. 38 112 backing plates fit, but you need to trim them down as 33 drums are wider. used motor wheel wire wheels 15"

Toddh

A properly set-up mechanical brake system with the correct pad material will provide a comparable braking experience to “juice” brakes.  My mechanical ‘34 Terraplane brakes are superb and I have 2 ‘46 Hudson’s with hydraulic brakes

tombia

I guess thats the reason everyone switched to hydraulic
.

terraplane8

I think juice brakes are far superior as they are self-balancing (assuming no air in the fluid) unlike the dreaded cables which necessitate a lot of fiddling to avoid dangerous veering when applying the brakes from a panic stop at speed.

5433HET

I often wonder if the trip DOWN from Pikes Peak summit was more of a  nail biter than the trip up!  That being said, my mechanical brakes stop me smooth and evenly. All brand new cables, not ancient stretched or binding ones...

glynes

I would be open to mechanicals but all the parts for my car for the brakes are gone. 

5433HET

Glynes, I would think with so many conversions to hydraulic, you could find the original parts at giveaway prices. I've picked up loads of extra parts for my '33 from street rod conversions!