There's more to a brake job other than replacing the brake shoes. You can only turn drums down so many times before they would need to be replaces. New hardware (return springs) is a must after 40 years of service. Be sure the shoes are in the correct location...they're a front shoe and rear shoe
They may not be inadequate, but, I believe disk are a definite upgrade. I don't know anyone personally, who has converted disk to drums. Eveything has pro's and con's, however I am of the opinion disk have more in the pro's column...
Many drag racers swap to drum...less rolling resistance because disc brake pads are always in contact with the rotor. You don’t have that problem with drum brakes
On front drum brakes, the wheel studs are swedged to the drum, making the hub & drum one assembly. It was common for Ford to do this.
LOL.. then how does it come apart? you just need to unswedge it to change the shoes or are they packed and loaded from the factory?
No, you remove the wheel bearing, and pull the drum and hub off, the brake shoes are attached to the backing plates. I just spent a couple hours grinding the swedges down, so I could remove the hubs from the drums, for my cobra brake conversion.
seriously?.. crap!.. I thought you were actually kidding. Luckily mine were pretty fresh all the way around and will only need a good cleanup/reassembly from sitting for a few years.. but now I'm really not looking forward to it at all. EDIT.. haha.. a funny man, eh? you sure got me that time and even made me google it real quick. All the pic's I see are the traditional "slide over the stud design" anyways. Not to mention it didn't register.. or me brain didn't want to work hard enough to remember doing plenty of 8" Ford rear drum jobs through the years.
Riiight....drums are just as good as discs. Got'cha. No reason to have discs. That's why the "factory" started putting discs on Mavericks in '74 and made them standard in '76. They just didn't have anything better to do. Yeah, don't waste any more of your time with me, I don't know anything.
I believe cars of the past decade or so have done a lot in the way of reducing disk pad/rotor contact in the intrest of better fuel mileage. I lift my 06 Buick, spin the wheel and encounter vry little resistance.
The drag racers that I know that have switched from disc in the rear to drum are modified/foot brake racers. The drum brakes will hold better on the line so you can get more stall.Personally I would choose disc over drum any day.Just hate those springs and stone bruises.Ive really enjoyed all the post on this thread. Keep up the good work guys. very amusing!!!!
