Ford Blitz Restoration/Rebuild

[Keith Webb]

Oh, I remember it well! I was wondering what it would feel like to smash my face into the top of the windscreen, but fortunately the impact wasn't that great.

[Tony Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Oh, I remember it well! I was wondering what it would feel like to smash my face into the top of the windscreen, but fortunately the impact wasn't that great.

Yes, we really could have used some seat belts that day! Fortunately there were plenty of saplings to slow us down a bit before finally hitting the tree. I think this photo Keith took may show part of the scene.

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by Tony Wheeler

Yes, we really could have used some seat belts that day! Fortunately there were plenty of saplings to slow us down a bit before finally hitting the tree. I think this photo Keith took may show part of the scene.

Yes, that was part of it - I can remember the sense of triumph trying to push the back across as the wheels spun so you could escape the tree. It would have been a long walk out.

[Private_collector]

Originally Posted by Keith Webb

Yes, that was part of it - I can remember the sense of triumph trying to push the back across as the wheels spun so you could escape the tree. It would have been a long walk out.

Firstly: Keith & Tony.......You pair of knockabouts. Couldn't be described a 'wreckless' though.

CMP brake shoes. I'm looking (and bidding, take note) at an auction on ebay for a quantity of Ford CMP brake shoes. The listing states "WW2 Military Ford Blitz Brake Shoes - full set", but to me they all look to be the same size and width. That said, I have not yet taken the front wheel hubs off, and to date, NEVER seen a Ford front brake shoe. I was expecting there to be a visible size difference in width at least.
CMP Brake shoes.jpg $T2eC16NHJGYE9noohZ9(BRGIZ9JZUg~~60_3.jpg $T2eC16RHJGwE9n)yTT7sBRGIZ67jng~~60_3.jpg
The auction interests me because I know for a fact that there are at least two brake shoes missing from my front brakes. Wheel cylinders were taken off at some point. Not by me! Presumably due to pads sticking to the hub and making pushing the vehicle around very difficult. With cylinders off, the shoes fall together.....no more pad to hub problems.

If the front and rear brake pads are identical (that's my question, by the way), I can use pads from my spare rear axle instead of hunting for front ones.

Still wouldn't mind the ebay ones. Would be handy to get a set relined as spares for the future.

[hrpearce]

Answer to your question is on page U-9 in MB-F1.
It all depends on what axles you have.

[Keith Webb]

Tony, by the look of the shoes in your pics they are all the width for front brake drums as fitted to axles with the 4 7/8" steering ends which were used on 15cwt and early CMP front axles. They won't fit the rear at all. Vehicles with 6" steering ends had the wider drums.

If you look at your brake drums, if the front are as wide as the rear then these will be of no use to you at all.

[Jacques Reed]

Another thing to consider is what are the linings made from?

I have a NOS set of shoes and linings which have a distinctive blue/green hue to them and was told by a brake shop they contain asbestos of the worst kind.
You know- Midnight Oil's "Blue Sky Mining"

I replaced all mine with modern asbestos free linings and have left the blue/green ones in permanent storage and will probably never use them. I am even loathe to put them on Ebay because of what they may contain. I don't want to suck up asbestos dust in years to come or would wish anyone else to do so on something I sold them.

So much WW2 stuff contains asbestos so best to check.

Cheers,