Re: IML: Re:Ausco-Lambert Brakes (was 1954 Crown Imperial Limousine-WPCmeet 2005

[Brad Hogg <luxoliner@xxxxxxx>]

Although working on the brakes seems a long way off for my project, I intend 
to do exactly as Arran suggests.  On my 51 Limo, I intend to service the 
Ausco-Lambert brakes as they are and bring them to servicable condition if 
at all possible.  I love learning about new (or old) technologies and the 
way they used to do things.  So iften, the way things used to be done were 
superior to the way they are done now, they were just not as economically 
viable as some other ways.  We aren't necessarily getting better cars, we 
are just getting more profitable and more marketable cars...I digress.

Keep it stock if possible is my motto.  If not, make sure you can change it 
back in the future.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "A. Foster" <monkeypuzzle1@xxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2005 1:43 AM
Subject: IML: Re:Ausco-Lambert Brakes (was 1954 Crown Imperial Limousine-WPC 
meet 2005


Hi;
  The disk brakes on these cars are designed and function quite differently 
from the Budd brakes on later cars. The full name of the braking system used 
on these cars is called The Ausco-Lambert total contact disk brake, they do 
not have callipers and rotors they have a system more in common with a 
clutch from a manual transmission with frictional material bonded to a plate 
which is pushed against the inside surface of the iron housing to stop the 
car. One interesting aspect of these is unlike the modern disk brakes they 
are self actuating and do not need a booster.
 All too often there is a temptation with some people to chuck out and 
replace something slightly unorthodox that they don't understand rather then 
investigating more and trying to make it work. I for one would dig into it 
to try to get it operational just to find out how it performs, that's what 
makes it interesting. Anyone can go out and drive and modern car, any day, 
with all of the latest performance and characteristics; not everyone can go 
out and drive a surviving piece of 50+ year old technology, especially a 
Crown Imperial Limo, so why try to make it like everything else? The 
argument of "better to have it on the road" is getting a little old with me; 
when you have a car of such limited production I think that it would be 
better kept in a museum or restored properly then to hack it up to fit 
expediency or some whim.
  From what I understand about the brakes on those cars the only parts that 
cannot be found are the cast iron housings and the pressure plates, 
everything else can be broken down into it's constituent parts and replaced. 
The wheel cylinders, according to Kerry Pinkerton, are the same as those 
used for the ordinary drum brakes, the springs, bearings, nuts, and bolts 
can all be substituted with proprietary items. The pressure plates, although 
unobtainable new, can have the friction material replaced by any shop that 
rebuilds brake shoes and clutches.
 If I had a car so equipped, and could not make the system serviceable, then 
I would convert it over to the drum brake system used on other Chryslers of 
that year as the spindles are the same. When you have a car this old the 
majority of its parts will have to be either rebuilt or ordered from mail 
order outfits like EGGE, most cannot be found on the shelf at your local 
NAPA, that's just par for the course. What I don't understand is why he 
swapped the engine over from a 331 to a 392, if he wanted more power then 
the substitution of a 354 would be more logical as it almost a bolt in and 
uses a block of the same deck height. Again I hope that he kept the original 
parts around and documented everything that he did so it can be converted 
back if need be.
Best Regards
Arran Foster
1954 Imperial Newport
Needing a left side tailight bezel and other trim parts. I could use a pair 
off of a lesser Chrysler but that would not be right.



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