Alfin brake drum repair / replacement

[Guest palosfv3]

Can anyone out there help me with the answer to a couple of questions on the alfin style brake drums. I just replaced all the brake system on the "French Whore " and only got about 500 miles on the car before the front brakes failed. Reason the lining wore completely away in this short amount of drive time. The shop that did the shoe relining used a soft composition lining , with the intent that it would not hurt the drums as badly as a more aggressive material. What would be a recommended lining material to use in this application? This is just a normal street driven car.

Secondly , the drums got scored up a little , which gives me the indication that they are all aluminum. I was under the assumption that the contact area of the drum was hard chrome plated. Evidently not ! Is there anyone out there that has the ability of hard chrome plating the contact surfaces of the aluminum drums ? Talked with a plater here in Chicago and he said that this was a specialty type of plating and not dome by most plating shops . It appears that these drums were manufactured with a cast iron contact area ring .

We have checked to make sure there was no hanging up of the front brakes and that the rears were operative.

Any helpful information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

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Larry

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Edited August 1, 2009 by palosfv3 (see edit history)

[Ivan Saxton]

I don't know what chromium might do for you in the way of friction characteristics. Alfin drums from the beginning had an sg cast iron liner cast into them -- (rather the main part of the drum was cast around the liner.) The best way to rebuild these drums, or any other from my experience, is a metco Spraysteel LS coating. Any person who does Metco metal spray repair work commercially will know and follow the correct process. I am too far away to help you. This coating is a work-hardening machineable carbon steel with about 75%

molybdenum content from memory; which when finished back to size has similar braking characteristics to sg cast iron. It is fussy to machine in this application, because if you develope vibration chatter it will work harden. I run the lathe at very low speed with a tungsten carbide tool. and clamp thick leather belting around the perimeter to dampen resonance. The bonding of the lining to the aluminium body is probably better than the original cast insert. And you can use whatever modern linings. I have detailed this at greater length before in threads a year or so back, which you should be able to bring up; even though you may have to trace it by subject matter. In the change to the new software, my previous posts seem to have been mislaid. Ivan Saxton

[Guest palosfv3]

Thanks Ivan.

I found your post on the Buick finned drums which outlined a process similar to what you stated . I have contacted Metco in Troy , Michigan and am awaiting a call from their representative to help locate someone here in Chicago that may be able to help.