aluminum drums anybody got a spec o'knowledge of these things?

[bullheimer]

Hi i broke one of my drums on my 62 leSabre a few years ago and got two from a 69 Wildcat and they have i think, longer lugs? and NO RIVETS holding the drum onto the spindle.  so the rivets are holding my wheel adapters out about a quarter inch HOWEVER they have longer lugs, much longer, i'm not sure how long but i'm guessing a full two inches or at least 15/16s which is a Dorman part readily available.  a couple of questions first can you verify this is a common feature?

 

second would it hurt anything to grind the outter side of the rivets off or to just remove them? obviously they aren't needed. at least obvious to me.   I also will probably, i dont know yet, have to remove the back lugs too. i would REALLY LOVE to remove the drivers side lugs with their stupid left hand threads, esp since one was snapped off.  i have 1" wheel adapters on the front.  the one side shown, with original drums, has such short lugs that the nuts only go onto about 4 or 5 threads and there are about 4 threads of the lug nut exposed.  for some wierd reason the drum on the other side, with the 69 wildcat drums has lugs so much longer that they go over a 1/4" SPACER before the adapter and STILL have NO EXPOSED threads inside the lug nut.   Dorman shows a 1.5 inch lug and also a 1&15'16s lug so i am ASSuming that the 62 used the 1.5 inch and the wildcat had the 2 inch.

 

ok 3rd, these drums look absolutely sick with my wheels (off a Chrysler 300), they want $150 to sandblast all 4 but said they cant powder coat them because they will leak break fluid or grease but instead of that what is the best way to get the aluminum oxidation off so i can paint them? it would cost way to much to polish them so i need a good cleaner and recommend a good paint, like i'm thinking Hammered or something like that that is virtually bulletproof.  anyway, what do you think? 

Edited January 20, 2022 by bullheimer (see edit history)

[JohnD1956]

I am sorry, but I am confused by your post.  69 Buicks did not have left hand threaded studs on the driver's side to the best of my knowledge.  Plus you said the 69 drums did not have the rivits and then you asked if you can grind off the rivits because they interfere with your spacers. 

 

I am sure you could polish the aluminum with any aluminum polish but it's gonna be a lot of intricate work with all those vanes on there. 

[NTX5467]

AFAIK, Chrysler was the ONLY maker to use lh wheel studs on the lh side of the car.  Yes, there WAS a valid engineering reason for them, too!  Chry and Ford both used a 5x4.5" wheel stud bolt circle, whereas Buicks and other GM cars were either 5x4.75 or 5x5, as I recall, which would explain the need for the wheel adapters on your vehicle.

 

Polishing the aluminum brake drums might look good, but also might decrease their ability to shed heat in repeated brake use.  A medium-size shot to blast them with, followed by a high-heat clear-coat paint might be best?

 

The rivets on the hub were there for a valid reason, too.  Like keeping everything together on the assembly line before the wheels were installed.  Not unlike the metal clips on the lug nut studs, to hold the brake drums on the cars, before the wheels/tires were installed on the assembly line.

 

FWIW, there are some things which might seem "dumb" after the cars left the assembly plants which had perfectly valid reasons for happening IN the plant.

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[bullheimer]

my 62 buick has left hand threads on the drivers side. it's not my imagination if that's what you're getting at.   the two drums i got used were from a 69, neither did have left hand threads. neither of them have rivets, either.  the front drivers side lugs were already replaced, but my rear has them still in. the axles have to be removed to get to them. one has been snapped off in the distant past.  no i dont want to spend the time polishing these. i would if i had 20 years at the state penn but i dont.  the powder coating place are the ones that said they wouldn't guarantee no stains if they powdercoated them. i asked about clear coating them. i am assuming i can just remove the rivets then, if you think they were just put there for assembly. still wondering why they were not used then used. but must have been a need. wont lose any sleep about it.         i would be happy with some kind of engine degreaser and just paint them with heat resistant paint. but not something that looks like fake chrome crap, so looking for a suggestion on that, or is there a hi heat clear out there?  The thing i would like to know most is if anybody has an idea of lug lengths.  and of the knurl diameters of the lugs. like removing one that is .625 inches and replacing it with stock .625s or if i have to step up to the next biggest, which i think is .627 or 8   per this chart: https://www.dormanproducts.com/gsearch.aspx?make=Buick&model=LeSabre&origin=YMM&parttype=Wheel%20Lug%20Stud  Dorman rep said he thought 25 would work but next biggest might be better but i guess i'm going to have to try one and see, i do have one that i just got from Autozone, but i cant get to my friends press right now cause he has..........covid, what else? so checking to see if anybodys done any of this before.  these drums used to be a big deal. got to admit, they look great.  my buicks wheels are 5x5, the chryslers are 2/1000s bigger than 4.5 so i had to have the adapters custom made, but actually think that was due to my wanting them to be 1" and not 1&1/4".  i forget the exact measurement in metric, the 1" are on the front in the pic, i want to try them on the back, where clearance is much tighter before i order the second two adapters. but i want to see how this one stud looks compared to the rest to make sure the lug nuts will tighten all the way thru on the thicker adapter.  make sense? i hope but could see some confusion about what i'm trying to do.    anyone know of a spray on type aluminum cleaner that would knock down the oxidation? I  know that Purple power crap is absolute garbage and etches aluminum.

Edited January 20, 2022 by bullheimer (see edit history)

[drhach]

VHT makes a high temp paint called "nu-cast". They have two versions, one for a cast iron look and the other for an aluminum look. I've used both and they're very good. Maybe consider that? Brakes are kind of important. I'm not sure that messing with grinding rivets and brake drums is anything I'd want to do. 

[NailheadBob]

I think 1962 for large series Buick was the last year for left handed threads on the drivers side, I had a 1962 Electra and replaced the drivers side wheel studs with right handed studs and lug nuts so I could put wheel locks on car, on my 1958 Buick Special it has wheel bolts that are left handed on drivers side.

 

 

Bob

[Jolly_John]

On 1/19/2022 at 11:06 PM, NTX5467 said:

Chrysler was the ONLY maker to use lh wheel studs on the lh side of the car.

A minor correction: STUDEBAKER also used left hand thread studs on the driver's side front and rear from the 1930's to well into the 1950's. No big deal, just thought I'd add that info. John

Edited January 22, 2022 by Jolly_John (see edit history)