Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
I had kind of felt the last couple of days I drove the VIP that my brakes weren't quite right and I checked over everything and found nothing wrong except for the master cylinder being a bit low for the rear brakes. Topped it off and went looking for leaks and found none. Got tired of staring at it with my bifocaled eyes and decided to stop by a shop run by a brother of a friend who does great work and loves old cars and have him take a fresh look at everything. After having him check everything and some diagnostic driving we found two things. One, both of my front drums in spite of being freshly turned are a bit out of round and are making the pedal have a "knocking" sensation if the brakes are applied very firmly.
I've been looking around at drums online but have no idea who makes good stuff and who makes crap. I looked at drums on eBay that seem priced more to my budget, but I can't figure out from the way they show their specs if they fit my 2 3/4 brakes or not.
The second thing that turned up was the lid to my reman master cylinder was warped. I'm hoping I can straighten it so that it seals correctly. It was letting a bit of fluid seep from it. When I saw it, I couldn't believe I missed something that obvious. My spare MCs unfortunately are not the bolt on type. They are the snap on wire type which I like better but I can't switch them. If I can't get my lid right, I'll be looking around for another one somewhere somehow.
Of course, these are the things you find out once an old car is put back on the road. I'm sure there will be more.... <span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited ]</span>
Joined: Sun Feb 26 2006, 08:46PM
Location: Kingston,Ontario
Posts: 5622
New drums are not easy to score for the barges these days. I ended up buying a used set from National Moparts,got them machined and were oversized. Then I gott a good used set from a member here and were within spec and passed inspection. I did score a NOS set from E-pay---but only after I got the good used set. It is almost more feasable to convert the front to disc brakes,IMO.
Joined: Sun Jul 11 2010, 09:35AM
Location: Boerne,Tx
Posts: 411
I have a good set of used front drums from the 1968 fury i'm parting out. The new ones quality doesn't come close. They need turned. they are off of a 86,000 mile orig car. A lot of life left in them.
starshipconstellation wrote ... I had kind of felt the last couple of days I drove the VIP that my brakes weren't quite right and I checked over everything and found nothing wrong except for the master cylinder being a bit low for the rear brakes. Topped it off and went looking for leaks and found none. Got tired of staring at it with my bifocaled eyes and decided to stop by a shop run by a brother of a friend who does great work and loves old cars and have him take a fresh look at everything. After having him check everything and some diagnostic driving we found two things. One, both of my front drums in spite of being freshly turned are a bit out of round and are making the pedal have a "knocking" sensation if the brakes are applied very firmly.
I've been looking around at drums online but have no idea who makes good stuff and who makes crap. I looked at drums on eBay that seem priced more to my budget, but I can't figure out from the way they show their specs if they fit my 2 3/4 brakes or not.
The second thing that turned up was the lid to my reman master cylinder was warped. I'm hoping I can straighten it so that it seals correctly. It was letting a bit of fluid seep from it. When I saw it, I couldn't believe I missed something that obvious. My spare MCs unfortunately are not the bolt on type. They are the snap on wire type which I like better but I can't switch them. If I can't get my lid right, I'll be looking around for another one somewhere somehow.
Of course, these are the things you find out once an old car is put back on the road. I'm sure there will be more....
Joined: Sun Jan 31 2010, 03:36PM
Location: Dublin, PA
Posts: 414
It's real tough to find someone who knows how to correctly turn a drum these days. Short of converting to discs, your best bet is the good used drums. Bring them to a machine shop to be turned, not to the local parts store or repair shop. Another guy on the dock just put new (Chinese) drums on his '68 Fury and is having problems with them vibrating during braking.
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
Okay, it's definitely used original drums. Unhappily, I need to let my finances build back up since I've pretty much spent the rest of my tax refund on all the other work I've done to the car in the last three weeks and on a dishwasher for the house. Hopefully by the next time I get paid.
I had the drums turned by a very old school tire shop that has been around since the 50's and they had the "old guy" do the work since the younger guys had never seen front brake drums let alone turned one. The "old guy" was close to my dad's age. He looked to have been around long enough to have experienced plenty of drum brake systems.
The VIP only has 125,000 on it, and it looks to me that the original owner and my grandfather must have had the drums turned every time they had someone put brake shoes on it. Would they have gone through the drums that fast? I got 265,000 miles out of my '67 Sport Fury's front drums which I thought about using but they've been sitting almost 20 years. I can't imagine that between the mileage and the years sitting they'd be any good.
Part of me wants to convert to disc brakes but I also just put new 14 inch tires on this car and it looks like all of the conversion kits require 15 inch wheels so I have to add that to the cost of the conversion. I think a good set of drums would hold me awhile.
<span class='smallblacktext'>[ Edited Wed Mar 16 2011, 09:26AM ]</span>
Joined: Wed Aug 11 2010, 10:15AM
Location: E WA
Posts: 1230
starshipconstellation wrote ... Okay, it's definitely used original drums. Unhappily, I need to let my finances build back up since I've pretty much spent the rest of my tax refund on all the other work I've done to the car in the last three weeks and on a dishwasher for the house. Hopefully by the next time I get paid.
I had the drums turned by a very old school tire shop that has been around since the 50's and they had the "old guy" do the work since the younger guys had never seen front brake drums let alone turned one. The "old guy" was close to my dad's age. He looked to have been around long enough to have experienced plenty of drum brake systems.
The VIP only has 125,000 on it, and it looks to me that the original owner and my grandfather must have had the drums turned every time they had someone put brake shoes on it. Would they have gone through the drums that fast? I got 265,000 miles out of my '67 Sport Fury's front drums which I thought about using but they've been sitting almost 20 years. I can't imagine that between the mileage and the years sitting they'd be any good.
Part of me wants to convert to disc brakes but I also just put new 14 inch tires on this car and it looks like all of the conversion kits require 15 inch wheels so I have to add that to the cost of the conversion. I think a good set of drums would hold me awhile.
I am pretty sure that all of the factory disc C-bodies came with 15" wheels so it is not just aftermarket conversions.
I have the complete front drum brake/spindle setup from a 1966 Newport that I converted to discs back in 2003. I think that they are in good condition cleaned and painted with all new cylinders, shoes, bearings, springs etc. I went through the brakes about 3 years before the disc conversion and drove the car very little in the interim.
I hated the front drum brakes and just did not trust them.
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
It wouldn't surprise me if the factory used 15 inch wheels from the beginning just to have room for the calipers. Everything on my front brakes is brand new except the drums.
Joined: Sun Jan 31 2010, 03:36PM
Location: Dublin, PA
Posts: 414
Although it's not a good idea to cut the drums oversize, it shouldn't cause the problem you are having. Either the guy who cut them did a real bad job, or the spindle on their lathe is bent. The drums on my '65 GMC pickup were way oversize when I got it, and I cut them again. The drums simply weren't available for it, so I had no choice. The truck stopped fine, though it wore out the shoes fast, since they contacted only in the center of the shoe for some time until they wore to the same curveature as the drums.
Joined: Tue Oct 06 2009, 09:37AM
Location: Paris, KY
Posts: 1496
bigmoparjeff wrote ... Although it's not a good idea to cut the drums oversize, it shouldn't cause the problem you are having. Either the guy who cut them did a real bad job, or the spindle on their lathe is bent. The drums on my '65 GMC pickup were way oversize when I got it, and I cut them again. The drums simply weren't available for it, so I had no choice. The truck stopped fine, though it wore out the shoes fast, since they contacted only in the center of the shoe for some time until they wore to the same curveature as the drums.
Jeff
I talked to my dad about this last night and he is also doubtful that it's causing my problem. He thinks I should have the current drums checked for roundness by someone else before I try to replace them.
Joined: Mon Jan 25 2010, 02:40PM
Location: Bethel Park PA
Posts: 846
Good idea to have the drums checked again before buying new or used ones. The front drum brakes on these cars have always been an "Achilles heel" on our beloved C-bodies. Growing up in Pittsburgh PA, with all of its hills, I can remember my Dad's 68 Fury almost always needing front brake work done to it to pass state inspection twice a year. Later on, when I started driving C-bodies, I knew they required more attention than other drum brake models. I would check them & adjust them regularly. Every time I changed brake shoes I would have the drums turned. These big, heavy cars would generate alot of heat @ the front brakes, therefore more wear & tear on the drums. I found riveted linings lasted longer because the rivets would help dissapate heat better than a bonded lining did. Hope this info can help. Good luck. C-bodies, go fast in comfort