New to manual drum brakes

StangDaddy66 · Sep 29, 2009

Just checked out scarebird. I like the way readily available stuff is used. That allows me to piecemeal the parts too. My budget minded wife will appreciate that. There is not much mention about power assist in the installation instructions, unless I missed it. I guess I could get a 66 Mustang booster if I want to go down that route. I might leave it manual.

2+2GT · Sep 29, 2009

rebel65 said:
one of the other disadvantages for drum brakes is when it rains... avoid puddles!!! unless you don't want to stop.

Experienced drivers back in the "everything has drum brakes" days knew to lightly ride the brakes for a few seconds after plowing through a puddle.

rebel65 · Sep 29, 2009

sry wasn't alive then.

but as the thread is called 'New to Manual Drum Brakes' i figured he could use the tip.\
if you did do more than lightly the drums would lock and no stop .

and if there were enough puddles the drums didn't stop as well as dry until their were fully dry.
might be an isolated case, but that was what i got.

rbohm · Sep 29, 2009

rebel65 said:
sry wasn't alive then.

but as the thread is called 'New to Manual Drum Brakes' i figured he could use the tip.\
if you did do more than lightly the drums would lock and no stop .

and if there were enough puddles the drums didn't stop as well as dry until their were fully dry.
might be an isolated case, but that was what i got.

nope, that is normal with all drum brakes. they also like to fade to nothing when you go down a mountain road and ride them too much. they get really smelly when they over heat.

65ShelbyClone · Sep 30, 2009

rbohm said:
nope, that is normal with all drum brakes. they also like to fade to nothing when you go down a mountain road and ride them too much. they get really smelly when they over heat.

They can fade to nothing when going from 100 to 20 in a few seconds, too. Guess I need to finally get those Granada discs installed...

2+2GT · Sep 30, 2009

65ShelbyClone said:
They can fade to nothing when going from 100 to 20 in a few seconds, too. Guess I need to finally get those Granada discs installed...

Well, they'll do 100 to zero about the same as a disc brake, since both have the same swept area. Just don't try to do it again, until the brakes cool, which takes a lot longer with drums, unless you have one of those old Corvettes with brake ducts and vented back plates.

Don't bother with Granada spindles- The money you save up front goes away when you shell out for tie rod ends and wheel alignment. There are any number of kits that use the spindles you have now, which will also save a lotta work.

Some of the hottest disc kits use the stock spindles, so some guys with stock disc brakes are now buying drum spindles to use them. It's a funny world.

65ShelbyClone · Sep 30, 2009

2+2GT said:
1.) Well, they'll do 100 to zero about the same as a disc brake, since both have the same swept area. Just don't try to do it again, until the brakes cool, which takes a lot longer with drums, unless you have one of those old Corvettes with brake ducts and vented back plates.

2.) Don't bother with Granada spindles- The money you save up front goes away when you shell out for tie rod ends and wheel alignment. There are any number of kits that use the spindles you have now, which will also save a lotta work.

1.) That's what I was alluding to; one hard "panic" stop and the brakes are pretty well used up until they cool down again.

2.) It's hard not to considering I only have maybe $150 in the parts, including spindles and new hoses/calipers/rotors/bearings/tie rods/prop valve/MC. I expect it to total around $250 when all is said and done.

2+2GT · Sep 30, 2009

65ShelbyClone said:
It's hard not to considering I only have maybe $150 in the parts, including spindles and new hoses/calipers/rotors/bearings/tie rods/prop valve/MC. I expect it to total around $250 when all is said and done.

Must be nice- Around here you'd be hard-pressed to find a Granada in a junkyard- Pretty much all the cars that old have been turned into Toyotas.

rbohm · Sep 30, 2009

i dont have to worry about finding granada spindles for my falcon, i have a pair of 67 mustang spindles that i will use on that car, and my mustang came with the V8 from the factory so i dont have to worry there either.

2+2GT · Sep 30, 2009

Of course, SSBC is making repro Mustang disc spindles, and IIRC, somebody is making the later HD drum spindles.

StangDaddy66 · Oct 1, 2009

I had time to fiddle around with my brakes and after bench bleeding the master cylinder and following the adjusting advice along with the automatic adjusters, these brakes are starting to act like actual brakes. I am actually quite pleased with them. I think spending some quality time THOROUGHLY bleeding the system is going to do the trick. I can already tell a gigantic difference.

I bought a couple of bottles of brake fluid because the fluid in the lines is looking pretty bad. So I'm thinking bleeding enough to virtually replace the old fluid should get me the results I am looking for. I couldn't even make ONE emergency stop if I had to before. Unless I determine that my vibration at 65ish is a tire with belts separating and not a warped front hub/drum, then I am probably going to stick to the drums for a while and work on other things. If I do have a warped hub/drum, then I am going to go ahead and go for a disc upgrade.

2+2GT · Oct 1, 2009

I bought a couple of bottles of brake fluid because the fluid in the lines is looking pretty bad.
It should be replaced periodically, you are probably way overdue.

Unless I determine that my vibration at 65ish is a tire with belts separating and not a warped front hub/drum, then I am probably going to stick to the drums for a while and work on other things. If I do have a warped hub/drum, then I am going to go ahead and go for a disc upgrade.
Why? Drums can be trued and resurfaced quickly and cheaply. As you said yourself, the brakes are working quite nicely. Why fix something that works?

StangDaddy66 · Oct 1, 2009

2+2GT said:
I bought a couple of bottles of brake fluid because the fluid in the lines is looking pretty bad.
It should be replaced periodically, you are probably way overdue.

Unless I determine that my vibration at 65ish is a tire with belts separating and not a warped front hub/drum, then I am probably going to stick to the drums for a while and work on other things. If I do have a warped hub/drum, then I am going to go ahead and go for a disc upgrade.
Why? Drums can be trued and resurfaced quickly and cheaply. As you said yourself, the brakes are working quite nicely. Why fix something that works?

Agreed on the overdue replacement. As far as the warped hub, I don't mean out of round, I mean warped as in the hub *seems* to wobble left to right as i rotate it. It is very possible that it is me being waaaaaay to analytical and it is a bad tire. The reason why I suspect this is because I had to replace one of the rear axles because this car was hit in the rear wheel well in its previous life (among other places) and bent the axle. So I figure if I need to replace all of that, might as well upgrade

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