disc brake conversion

[Guest Ed Moul]

Hi. My name is Ed and this is my first time on a forum. I have a 1964 Buick Electra 225 4 door hardtop with a 401 nailhead. A beautiful car. I would like to convert to front disc brakes but I am having alot of troubles finding the parts. If anyone knows of any source I would truly appreciate it  Thanks  Ed

[Xander Wildeisen]

https://www.bing.com/search?q=1964+buick+disk+brake+conversion&go=Submit&qs=n&form=QBLH&pq=1964+buick+disk+b&sc=0-17&sp=-1&sk=&cvid=1F7DF22CAE184FBDA149A16C7BBD1DC2

[46 woodie]

I have dealt with a company called Master Power Brakes, www.mpbrakes.com, 888-251-2353 for any brake issues. They have always been very helpful in any question or part I have needed.

[SC38dls]

You might try The Street machine mfg co. Tsmmfg.net I think is their site.  They make various conversion kits for GM and Ford cars and trucks. I used them for my 49 F3 Ford pickup. Good people to work with. They are in Colorado. 

[CarlLaFong]

What will you be using the car for???

Most people have been brainwashed into believing that any car without disc brakes and dual reservoir master cylinders are death traps. The fact is, that Buick will lock up all four wheels in a panic stop with the stock drums. What will disc brakes do that is any better. If you're planning to road race the ol' boat or do lots of driving in the mountains, pulling a trailer, then discs are better due to their resistance to fading. They will fade, regardless of what you've heard. I learned that driving my dually and 30 foot fifth wheel down the backside of the Panamints into Death Valley. A white knuckler for sure!

[1937hd45]

How are the fins on your original drums, and do you want to sell them? Bob

[poci1957]

12 hours ago, CarlLaFong said:

What will you be using the car for???

Most people have been brainwashed into believing that any car without disc brakes and dual reservoir master cylinders are death traps. The fact is, that Buick will lock up all four wheels in a panic stop with the stock drums. What will disc brakes do that is any better.

 

I agree with CarlLaFong on this--many old car people have a knee-jerk desire to put on discs and are encouraged by "kits" usually sold as an easy bolt-on by someone familiar with Chevys.  A Buick/Olds/Pontiac must be the same, right?  Wrong in 1964 and earlier and my experience with Pontiacs is that they will sell you the parts kit but it is never an easy bolt-on for a Buick/Olds/Pontiac.  No one there has actually seen a Buick and you get to complete the engineering yourself.  As CarlLaFong says the original drum brakes provide perfectly adequate performance in most casual old car driving IF they are in good condition and adjusted properly.  That said I would consider an upgrade to a dual master cylinder, good luck, Todd C    

[60FlatTop]

What parts are you having trouble finding? Even if you convert the front brakes you will still have drums on the rear. Sounds like only half the problem goes away.

 

Have you driven a drum brake Buick in proper operating condition? I have two and wouldn't consider changing them other that routine service.

 

Bernie

[Matt Harwood]

I agree with the others that old cars are not inherently unsafe in original spec. We get this question (as well as the 12-volt upgrade and the "how do I put a Chevy V8 in my car?" questions) weekly and usually it's coming from a newcomer who was told by some hack mechanic that old cars just aren't reliable or safe in original form and they need to be "upgraded." That's total BS that usually comes from a guy who only knows how to fix things by "upgrading" them to something he knows how to fix. Old cars were reliable and safe when they were new, they'll be reliable and safe today if you put them into proper spec and drive them responsibly.

 

Everyone above is correct in saying that your drum brakes will work as well as discs unless you're traveling at high speeds with repeated panic stops or live in the mountains. Disc brakes don't stop better or faster or shorter, they just reject heat faster. That's their only advantage--fade resistance and recovery. If you're not stressing your drums to their limit and they're properly adjusted with the right material on the shoes, your car is stopping as well as it ever will, discs or no discs. And a switch to discs (almost all the kits use a standard GM 11-inch or 12-inch rotor) may even result in diminished braking capacity on a car as large as your Buick, which is both fast and heavy. Don't underestimate the stopping power of drums.

 

There are disc brake kits available. They probably bolt on (probably). Maybe they work without other modifications (unlikely). But for the money you'll spend on this "upgrade," I doubt you'll see any measurable improvements to performance, reliability, or safety. I also bet that your next complaint will be that the power assist isn't working anymore. This is because drums are self-energizing and don't need as much assist as discs so your original power assist unit will be inadequate with the discs--another pricey "upgrade" to make your brake "upgrade" work properly.

 

Maybe those hundreds or thousands of dollars are better spent elsewhere on your car? Just a thought...

[Akstraw]

I have to agree with those who question the need for the conversion.  I have had to make a couple of rather spirited stops in my 1956 Cadillac; a rather heavy car.  The original drum brakes have performed smoothly, straight, and reliably.  I also have an acquaintance who did  a four-wheel disc conversion on a 64 Lincoln, and never could get the disc system working to his liking.  He ended up selling the car because of that.  I agree with the sentiment that "you get to complete the engineering on the kit". 

 

Having said that, I know of a shop in North Carolina that specializes in performing disc conversions in-house.  PM me if you'd like their contact info.

 

Andrew

[poci1957]

13 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

...........usually it's coming from a newcomer who was told by some hack mechanic that old cars just aren't reliable or safe in original form and they need to be "upgraded." That's total BS that usually comes from a guy who only knows how to fix things by "upgrading" them to something he knows how to fix.  

 

But for the money you'll spend on this "upgrade," I doubt you'll see any measurable improvements to performance, reliability, or safety. I also bet that your next complaint will be that the power assist isn't working anymore. This is because drums are self-energizing and don't need as much assist as discs so your original power assist unit will be inadequate with the discs--another pricey "upgrade" to make your brake "upgrade" work properly.

 

Maybe those hundreds or thousands of dollars are better spent elsewhere on your car? Just a thought...

 

Matt could not be more right about the "...guy who only knows "upgrading" to something he knows how to fix..."   VERY well said, lots of that going on--until you have the next related problem in the changeover and that guy is nowhere to be found, Todd C

[padgett]

+1. On a big Pontiac I'd rather have 8-lugs (aluminum drums) than the 67 disks that followed. Also agree you can fade disks particularly stock ones (actually think the brake fluid may have been boiling.)

 

Problem is that few know how to use a brake spoon or even are able to turn the drums.

 

ps not at home but think the 64 Buick had 11" finned drums that should ne more than plenty. For one stop from 60.

Edited September 14, 2016 by padgett (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

To the O.P.

 

Ed,

 

Welcome to the forum. As you have probably determined, the AACA is dedicated to totally stock vehicles.  Questions like yours about deviating from stock are typically met with derision, as above.  I suggest that you'll get a far more useful response to your question if you ask it over at a site like hotrodders.com, or (surprisingly) in the Buick Modified forum here.  Go to the main AACA forum page and scroll down.  Good luck with your car.

[Matt Harwood]

There's no derision here, Joe. That's not cool to throw that on us.

 

What we were telling him is that the modification he has in mind is commonly thought to be "mandatory" by newcomers and hack mechanics but given a full spectrum of information on the topic, it turns out that it's often money wasted that could be better spent somewhere else. Nobody was insulting him, we were simply giving him perspective on a subject that has been asked and discussed dozens of times, just like the 12-volt thing. I'd call that a very useful response.

 

Or should we just encourage him to spend the money and modify his car unnecessarily, even though we know better? Are happy feelings more important than facts now?  It isn't that we're against the modifications (although this is the AACA) it's that this particular modification is often wholly unnecessary. If he had asked about putting a 350 Chevy motor in his car, would you have reacted the same way by telling us we're being mean?

 

If I was about to spend a few hundred or a few thousand dollars doing something to my car and someone with more experience told me it was unnecessary, I'd appreciate it, not think they were being insulting. I certainly wouldn't be so fragile that I'd run away and never come back because they hurt my feelings by trying to help me avoid a costly mistake.

 

I hope the original poster takes the advice in the spirit in which it was offered.

[trimacar]

Matt, as always, has some good points, and I don't consider it derision either, just advice to someone who isn't as familiar with early cars as some people on this forum.

 

I was once looking to buy an early Buick, and found a 1911 roadster in Reno.  This was the big car they made that year, think it was a model 32 or 33, the car that followed the Model 16 of 1909-1910.  A lot of people shake their heads at these early cars, two wheel brakes, just on the rear.  Can't stop 'em, they'll say.  Let me tell you, the person that set this roadster up knew what he was doing, correct brake material, correct adjustments with no slack or slop, oh my.  The brakes were as good as on any car I've ever driven, and would stop the car straight, true, and quickly.

 

This, to me, points out that most old cars that have "bad" brakes don't have "bad" brakes, they just have unrestored or poorly restored brakes.  If you do it correctly, any car's brakes will lock up the wheels, how could you need any more?

 

Sure, disc brakes are better if you do 6 or 8 panic stops in a row from high speed, as drums will heat up and "fade", but seriously, when's that going to happen in a collector car, some muscle and hemi cars aside?

 

Get the originals restored correctly, and as Matt says, you'll be money ahead and still have great brakes.

[60FlatTop]

Once I worked at a place where another mechanic was also named Bernie. Anything he fixed came back different. If you gave him a chair with a broken leg it would come back with three legs to keep it from rocking. Once he spliced a thermocouple wire for a steam humidifier on an environment chamber and it caught on fire. I remember stuff like that.

When I see something like these kits that adapt modern parts to older cars I ask questions. Why is the brake tubing 1//4" on a '64 Buick and 3/16" on the car the kit parts came from. What was the basis for the decision to go smaller? Where are the adapters placed, at the master cylinder or at a junction, and why? There has to be an answer other than "that's what it took to fit". What is the difference in fluid volumes between the stock and modified? Is it sufficient? Those and others related to the changes are annoying to the guy with the "How To" article from HRM in his hand.

 

Like Matt, I have a suspicion about the modifier; have they ever driven one that was right? I let a dyed in the wool rodder drive a stock Buick Super in fine tune once. He was amazed at the car. It was not anything like he expected. It is not the generalization that the so called "purists" are throw backs stuck in the past. They are the guy who owns one that works right. Stating that the original equipment is sufficient is an informed statement. Uniformed is another thing.

Bernie

Edited September 14, 2016 by 60FlatTop (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

1 minute ago, poci1957 said:

 

So I guess the real question becomes do we try to really help a less experienced newcomer, even though our advice may be contrary to their current plan?  Or when they are about to pursue an expensive boondoggle do we just humor them or ignore them altogether so they don't feel bad?  Remember, none of us gain from this exchange, while the brake people and local mechanic will charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for (in this case) a dubious project.  I know when I ask for advice I usually want honest feedback, Todd C               

 

First, not everyone has to pay a mechanic "thousands of dollars" for this conversion.  Some of us actually turn our own wrenches.  Second, I've yet to spend more than a couple of hundred bucks on such a conversion. I don't know where you are located, but here in Northern VA, it's difficult to find anyone who can even turn drums anymore.  Assuming the drums are not excessively worn, the few local shops that will turn them charge $40-$50 PER DRUM!  I just went through this with my newly-purchased 67 Delta 88, and I don't trust the chain stores that advertise free drum turning with these unobtainium drums.  If the drums need to be replaced (or get damaged by the shop trying to turn them), the only option is Chinesium new drums that are nothing like the originals, at $120 plus shipping each.  Expect to need to have those brand new drums turned as well due to out-of-roundness (go ahead, ask me how I know this).

 

Even using RockAuto, and only buying Wagner parts, I'm several hundred bucks into a brake rebuild on my 67 Olds already.  Trust me when I say that I've spent a lot of time price comparing to find the lowest prices possible on all the parts (including wheel cylinders and hoses), covering both on-line and local sources. The Scarebird disc conversion brackets for the OP's Buick are $169 and use readily available rotors and calipers. One might want to read the instructions for that conversion (it's bolt-on) before condemning it as expensive or difficult.

[60FlatTop]

Ed Moul is pretty lucky to find this forum and get all the good advice. If he had found a group on LinkedIn 15 people would have followed by by writing "I have one and here are 10 reasons you should buy it."

 

This forum is a nice break from commonplace internet social marketing. Hell, even abrasive looking cartoon characters can bring out a smile.

 

Bernie

[poci1957]

11 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:

First, not everyone has to pay a mechanic "thousands of dollars" for this conversion.  Some of us actually turn our own wrenches.  Second, I've yet to spend more than a couple of hundred bucks on such a conversion. I don't know where you are located, but here in Northern VA, it's difficult to find anyone who can even turn drums anymore. 

 

Even using RockAuto, and only buying Wagner parts, I'm several hundred bucks into a brake rebuild on my 67 Olds already.  Trust me when I say that I've spent a lot of time price comparing to find the lowest prices possible on all the parts (including wheel cylinders and hoses), covering both on-line and local sources. The Scarebird disc conversion brackets for the OP's Buick are $169 and use readily available rotors and calipers. One might want to read the instructions for that conversion (it's bolt-on) before condemning it as expensive or difficult.

 

You and I both turn our own wrenches, neither of us know if the OP does.  If he does he can save a few bucks but will have to do some homework.  Likely he is at the mercy of a local mechanic also of indeterminate experience on the subject.  For either scenario the $169 brackets are the tip of the iceburg on cost and installation as you certainly know.  Of course you are several hundred dollars into your brake job, they cost money either way.  But if the OP refurbishes his drum brakes properly to original spec they will work.  He can buy the bolt on disc brackets and then add the discs, rotors, wheel bearings and more (sold separately).  At this point he is also in several hundred dollars and still must address the need for a dual master, brake booster, proportioning valve, new lines or any of those things the "bolt on" kit does not include and someone has to figure out.  And this is front only, he still has to refurbish the rears which means he will still have to deal with the same parts you had trouble with.  AND he has to buy new 15" wheels and tires, the original 14s will not fit over the disc setup and scarebird only says factory Buick 15s MAY fit (remember what I said yesterday--"nobody there has actually seen a Buick and you get to complete the engineering yourself").

 

I am sure these brackets work as claimed to mount the hubs and are useful for many projects.  But I still say they would not reduce trouble or expense for our OP, it may not produce better braking and it certainly requires more expertise than just those brackets which I think deceive people with false hopes for a "bolt on."            

 

[joe_padavano]

30 minutes ago, poci1957 said:

 

You and I both turn our own wrenches, neither of us know if the OP does.  If he does he can save a few bucks but will have to do some homework.  Likely he is at the mercy of a local mechanic also of indeterminate experience on the subject.  For either scenario the $169 brackets are the tip of the iceburg on cost and installation as you certainly know.  Of course you are several hundred dollars into your brake job, they cost money either way.  But if the OP refurbishes his drum brakes properly to original spec they will work.  He can buy the bolt on disc brackets and then add the discs, rotors, wheel bearings and more (sold separately).  At this point he is also in several hundred dollars and still must address the need for a dual master, brake booster, proportioning valve, new lines or any of those things the "bolt on" kit does not include and someone has to figure out.  And this is front only, he still has to refurbish the rears which means he will still have to deal with the same parts you had trouble with.  AND he has to buy new 15" wheels and tires, the original 14s will not fit over the disc setup and scarebird only says factory Buick 15s MAY fit (remember what I said yesterday--"nobody there has actually seen a Buick and you get to complete the engineering yourself").

 

I am sure these brackets work as claimed to mount the hubs and are useful for many projects.  But I still say they would not reduce trouble or expense for our OP, it may not produce better braking and it certainly requires more expertise than just those brackets which I think deceive people with false hopes for a "bolt on."            

 

 

Obviously, replacing stock parts is easiest, IF stock replacement parts are available.  It is not always less expensive.  You have provided a detailed list of GM brake system parts, but as you are well aware, not all of that is required for a disk brake conversion. As I mentioned, read the instructions for the kit.  Wheel bearings and grease seals are the same.  The rotors they use are from a half ton GM pickup and brand name (Bendix or Raybestos) replacements are about $40 each.  Calipers are standard GM 1970s vintage and Raybestos loaded calipers (with pads and hardware) are $46 each. That's $170.  Caliper hoses are $8 each. The dual circuit master cylinder is $25.  A prop valve is about another $15.  That's about $350 for everything (including the brackets), which is nearly what I have into the drum brakes on my Olds.

 

Yes, 15" wheels will be required.  Given the difficulty in finding affordable 14" tires today, there are other reasons for that.  Steel wheels from any 1970s-1990s RWD GM full size are plentiful and inexpensive. I've got about ten laying around now.

Edited September 15, 2016 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[poci1957]

7 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:

Yes, 15" wheels will be required.  Given the difficulty in finding affordable 14" tires today, there are other reasons for that. 

 

You certainly have a point here we can agree on, being able to reuse original 14s is a limited benefit nowadays 

[poci1957]

11 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:

That's about $350 for everything (including the brackets), which is nearly what I have into the drum brakes on my Olds.

 

Still does not include lines for the dual master (which may or may not have room behind the fenderwell) or refurbishing the rear drums BTW

[joe_padavano]

16 minutes ago, poci1957 said:

 

Still does not include lines for the dual master (which may or may not have room behind the fenderwell) or refurbishing the rear drums BTW

 

The cost of the rear drums is unrelated to the disk brake conversion. Add $5 for brake lines.

[60FlatTop]

Nothing is obvious. I posted a picture of four cars the other day and had the ones with dual master cylinders and disk brakes in front, one even had 4 wheel disks. And someone asked why the single master cylinder, drum brake cars were in the back. I thought the second row was the second safest.

 

Yep, nothing is obvious, obviously.

 

I'm still trying to figure out where the original 14" wheels on a '64 Electra came from.

Bernie

[poci1957]

Just now, joe_padavano said:

 

The cost of the rear drums is unrelated to the disk brake conversion. Add $5 for brake lines.

 

I think it is related as it is a cost that must be paid and also a cost on your Olds being used for comparison.  I remain unconvinced this is a good deal for our OP.

[poci1957]

3 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

I'm still trying to figure out where the original 14" wheels on a '64 Electra came from.

 

Bernie, you are right and I stand corrected, I forgot Buick still used 15s when GM went 14 on the rest.

[joe_padavano]

10 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

I'm still trying to figure out where the original 14" wheels on a '64 Electra came from.

Bernie

 

An assumption on my part, as I am not a Buford expert.  My 67 Delta came with 14s.  If the stock wheels on that 64 are 15", then there is no additional cost for new wheels and tires. Many of the drum-brake proponents are trying to pile on as much cost as possible to make the disk conversion look unattractive.  I was trying to be fair in my price rack-up, but if the OP doesn't need new wheels and tires, so much the better.

Edited September 15, 2016 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

4 minutes ago, poci1957 said:

 

I think it is related as it is a cost that must be paid and also a cost on your Olds being used for comparison.  I remain unconvinced this is a good deal for our OP.

 

I was only talking about the front brakes on my Olds.  The car did come with new rear shoes, but I had to buy the wheel cylinders, rear hose, and brake hardware as well.  That is not included in the number I mentioned.

[poci1957]

5 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:

I was only talking about the front brakes on my Olds.  The car did come with new rear shoes, but I had to buy the wheel cylinders, rear hose, and brake hardware as well.  That is not included in the number I mentioned.

 

OK then but even so I do not think our OP would be well served and would encounter additional difficulty (and cost) not being accounted for here.  Let me ask, for being such a firm advocate why didn't YOU choose this conversion?  

[joe_padavano]

17 minutes ago, poci1957 said:

 

OK then but even so I do not think our OP would be well served and would encounter additional difficulty (and cost) not being accounted for here.  Let me ask, for being such a firm advocate why didn't YOU choose this conversion?  

 

First, as I've stated several times in this thread, I am not advocating one braking system or the other.  My initial intent was to point out that in light of the recent thread about why people don't join AACA, the non-welcome that a newbie was given should be considered.  Once people started making uninformed posts about the "thousands of dollars" such a conversion will cost, I felt it necessary to post facts on the actual costs. As I also said previously, reasonable people can debate the relative merits of stock vs. modified brakes, but do so based on factual information and not supposition.  That at least allows one to make an informed decision.

 

As for my personal car, I do, in fact, plan to convert.  At the moment I just want to get the car driveable as quickly as possible.  Since this will be a daily driver in Northern VA traffic, I do want the added peace of mind of better brakes.  Had I known when I started how much "simple" maintenance would cost me on the stock brakes, I would have made the change sooner. 

[poci1957]

1 minute ago, joe_padavano said:

As for my personal car, I do, in fact, plan to convert.  At the moment I just want to get the car driveable as quickly as possible.  Since this will be a daily driver in Northern VA traffic, I do want the added peace of mind of better brakes.  Had I known when I started how much "simple" maintenance would cost me on the stock brakes, I would have made the change sooner. 

 

Fair enough and with those driving conditions an understandable goal, good debate, Todd C

[Xander Wildeisen]

 If rebuilt correct, drum brakes work fine. If set up correct, disk brakes work great. Because you put modern brakes, suspensions and engines in a old car. Does not make them drive like a new car. They drive like a old car with new brakes,suspensions and engines. A lot of the original characteristics the car had, in regards to design and driving feel, never leave no matter what you change.

[gpfarrell]

I believe most drum braking systems are out of adjustment and thus the old systems get an unfair reputation as being inferior.

 

I also believe a drum braking system that's working as it was designed, say in 1966, would work great if we could drive it in 1966 traffic.

 

But I drive in 2016 traffic and I have zero regrets converting my '66 Mercury Cyclone to power discs with a double-bowl master cylinder.  The car does stop better, straighter, and surer.  Disc brakes self-adjust much more effectively than drums, so the risk of locking a single-wheel on a mal-adjusted system is higher with drums due to the deficiency inherent to their design.

 

In 1966 when cars got lubed every 3,000 miles and tuned every 12,000, I think brakes were regularly checked.  We're just not geared for that anymore so systems wander out of adjustment.

 

Drums can stop just as well as discs the first time, and discs can fade, but its silly to imply drums have the fade resistance offered by discs.

 

I like to drive my cars and top-shelf brakes our true priority to enjoying the open road.  There's little aesthetic penalty and substantial improvement for drivability and safety.  It's your car... do what suits you best!

[countrytravler]

Jo. We have NAPA and other chain parts store here in our little town of Sonora CA and they just turned the drums from a 49 Dodge and it was 30 for both. Flywheel resurface is 35.00 Cost of living must be high in VA compared to CA. LOL!!  Last year, I did brakes on a Hemi 57 Imperial and it was 10 per drum. That car will stop on a dime and give 9 cent change. How long has it been since we have herd that phrase? 90% of Semi trucks on the road are drum brakes still. Our local fire trucks have disk and the drivers hate them because they have to be replaced 2 times a year at a tune of 2500.00. The drivers said that they never had these problems with drum brakes. Go figure!!

Edited September 16, 2016 by countrytravler (see edit history)

[Xander Wildeisen]

We can get drums turned here as well. Try and find someone to re-ark the shoes. I do not know anyone around here that does that. One of the biggest problems with drums that I have found is poor contact with the shoe and drum. I have seen old cars with new drum brakes, and you would be lucky if 50% of the shoe contacted the drum. And then what does contact gets glazed over so fast, because the surface contact is so little. 

[countrytravler]

We just bought a machine shown that re-arcs shoes. Have to learn how to use. There are companies that will redo your brakes shoes and fit them to your drums.

Here is a copy and paste from the HAMB.

I spent a few years working at a Firestone Tire Center many years ago and one of the services we performed back then was to fit the brake shoes to the drum based on how much metal we removed refinishing the drums. If ya cut the drum .025 then you sanded the new shoes to fit this .025 with an Ammco arcing machine.
Now let's fast forward 30 plus years. Asbestos dust made the arc grinders go away and no one does this service anymore.<O
However last summer a local vocation school closed and I bought all their tire and brake service equipment thinking it would be nice to have at the shop. The list included a like new arcing machine and a brake lathe.
<O
A few weeks ago ( one example of many) a local hot rod builder called and asked if I had a shoe grinder ( he heard thru the grapevine that I did) It seems as if he had put all new parts on an early hot rod with ford nine inch and didn't like the feel and performance of the drum brakes. Putting the "new" brake drums on the lathe showed that the new drums weren't very round at all and it took some cutting to make them round. Then he showed me the shoes as well, He had placed black sharpie lines across the shoes and then driven the car and after many stops noticed that the sharpie lines in some areas had no wear what so ever !
We fired up the grinder made a couple adjustments and dialed them in. WOW, the shoes fit perfectly!!!!
<O
Now today a few weeks later another set of new drums came in the door. A quick look on the lathe showed one took .020 to straighten out and true up while the other one wasn't too bad and a cut of only .010 shaped er up. A quick arc on the shoes and they fit perfectly!<O
Just a note to say these new drums are very often NOT very round and if you can find an old arc machine its the best of the best for a great brake job!!!!<O

Edited September 16, 2016 by countrytravler (see edit history)

[countrytravler]

Place in the LA area that does old time brakes. Did an internet search.

 

http://www.manta.com/c/mm74t4p/c-h-topping-co

[countrytravler]

Here is another little trick:

 

 I take self-stick air file paper and stick it to the inside of the drum,
then sand the shoes I'm going to use with the drum itself......remove the paper when done and presto a perfect fit every time.

Edited September 16, 2016 by countrytravler (see edit history)

[poci1957]

23 minutes ago, countrytravler said:

Here is another little trick:

 

t I take self stick air file paper and stick it to the inside of the drum,
then sand the shoes I'm going to use with the drum itself......remove the paper when done and presto a perfect fit every time.

That is a good idea

[joe_padavano]

9 hours ago, countrytravler said:

Jo. We have NAPA and other chain parts store here in our little town of Sonora CA and they just turned the drums from a 49 Dodge and it was 30 for both. Flywheel resurface is 35.00 Cost of living must be high in VA compared to CA. LOL!!  Last year, I did brakes on a Hemi 57 Imperial and it was 10 per drum. That car will stop on a dime and give 9 cent change. How long has it been since we have herd that phrase? 90% of Semi trucks on the road are drum brakes still. Our local fire trucks have disk and the drivers hate them because they have to be replaced 2 times a year at a tune of 2500.00. The drivers said that they never had these problems with drum brakes. Go figure!!

I tried my local NAPA to get my drums turned. They looked at me like I had three heads. Here in NoVA, people have waaaay more money than brains. No one repairs anything, they just throw it away and buy new. Oldest vehicles on the road are five to ten years old.