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Cheap disk brakes

I spent a ridiculous amount on my front disc brakes. What that provides me is irreplaceable; I don't ever think about my brakes failing when I'm hauling it down from 120 to make a 30mph corner with little runoff room. That's not to say they WON'T fail, it just means I'm confident that they will be there. Now if I had just built a show type car or cruiser, I would have opted for a much less expensive front brake setup. Still would have been discs and a complete system, but not a cobbled system.

Just MHO
 
"AzPete" said:
I can remember my Dad telling of things guys did when he was playing with cars in the 30's and 40's too. He always told of one kid who used baling wire to hold his Model A front axle to the spring. Carried extra wire for when it needed replaced instead of replacing the bracket and bolt. Dad rode with him once........

.....for those city folk.....baling wire is what is used to hold hay bales together.......hay bales....those square or round things that do not move on their own that you see in fields.....fields......those wide open places between towns where wally world will build some day.......lol
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Nothing wrong with baling wire. It's just as good as great stuff. :gs
 
Well I never did find what I was looking for when I ran across that how-to article... so... Removing brakes. Do you have to remove the drum and everything inside then the backplate? Or can you remove the whole thing? I'm trying to remove all the suspension and steering stuff.
 
Thanks!
Blah.. was hoping I could just take the whole thing off without having to take apart the drums and everything inside. Oh well. I wanted to replace the stuff with new cylinders, shoes, etc. anyway.
 
Thinking about it some more, you can probably take off the drum, remove the wheel cylinder piping, and then remove the backer plate with shoes attached. I wouldn't advise it, as those are some hefty springs, and if you knock one loose...
 
TAKE PICTURES.............also, the left and right are reversed....... You may have to loosen the brake shoes to allow the drum to slide over them...depending on how much wear there might be.
 
disk brakes period

I've been thinkin about cha~ and I know the decisions you're having/trying to make are kind of mind boggling, especially when based on what things cost! But if there's one modification/upgrade that you would do~ it would be THE front disc brake upgrade ; ) You''ve already installed a dual mastercylinder? and nothing wrong with manual front disc brakes. Stopping straight is kind of important :roll, and drum brakes are kind of undependable when it comes to quick stops, especially when hitting the brakes at 70mph and expecting an abrupt controlled slow down! You just don't want to get the car all together some day, then drive and go, darn, I should have gone with the disc brakes! :shrug. You have time and you can keep shopping or just bite the bullet and call Chocostang and get all you need at a reasonable price! Besides, one day if you go to sell it, and we all will see that day, and the buyer asks about the brakes~ it has drum brakes. pause, oh, drum brakes. Remember, we don't have ANY safety features on our stangs other than seat belts, and the sheet metal and structure is very flimsy from another car crushing us! So the best handling, stopping is a must to possibly avoid a fatal accident or worse, dismembering accident whether it be our fault or someone else's fault, or even a mechanical fault! S_ _ t happens! For some reason ,when I drive by myself, I feel confident, but when I have passengers, or eventually my grandaughter~ my confidence has to soar and know they are safe! safe! Safe! Besides, I do drive like a grandma anyway! lol But on a straight, I can't help but punch the gas to hear my motor! lol
be safe~
Nothing better to do today~ found this link too.
http://houston.craigslist.org/pts/2244932384.html

Taken in the priliminary phases of fitment, it all came back apart.
IMG_7787.jpg
 
I haven't installed a dual MC yet. I bought one a while back when the brakes went out, but just decided to wait to install since I was going to be doing other things in the bay. No worries about going 70mph in Gert. Speed limit in town is 35-45 depending what street. lol I live in a town where I can get to every place I need and never get on hwy 6 or have to do above 45mph. :thu In a few years I may switch to disk, but for now I'm sticking with drums all the way around. Same for power steering. Maybe later down the road. I actually don't mind not having power steering (or brakes). Makes me feel like I'm truly driving a classic.
 
I could have done without PS, but I like driving on the freeway! however when driving around town, I get lots of thumbs up! and that's even more fun! Funny, I have people come up and ask me what kind of car it is(I don't have any emblems on it yet) ~ meh, there are classics out there that I don't know what they are either, so I can't say anything! but a Mustang? c'mon! lol
 
P-S is for girls


Uhhh, nevermind



Seriously, if you add a roller idler arm it really does help free up the steering at slow speeds (unless you're riding on sticky R comp tires). I know you want to stick with drum brakes up front for now (assuming it's to save $$), but after you drive it a little and have the first panic stop, it'll be like the V8 juice commercial. Just ask Jeremy!
 
The big stopping problem with drums is adjustment, IME. Properly adjusted, they will stop just as well as disk on the street, and I've seen many systems do just that. Most automatic adjusters don't work well (if at all), so they have to be adjusted - which most people won't do.

Drums will fade on repeated application, but that is not an issue for a street driver - however, I would never take them on the track.
 
I have drums on both cars, drive 'em like I stole 'em and as fast as I can get away with. I've had sever panic stops and never a problem.

The problems are if you are always on the brakes and they get hot or you get them wet, they will fade or just not work for a few minutes until they dry out with heat.

I do have plans of changing, and most of the parts for one car, just don't want to right now, other things are a priority. I also have manual steering on the 67 and hate it! It is high on the priority list to get rid of it. On the 65, it is power steering drum brakes and a single master cylinder. No issues yet, but I do need to change it so I can autocross it. discs too for same reason, but for street driving the drum brakes have more surface area and in some applications stop better. Like the big rigs that use them and trailers.

Mel
 
I agree with apollard. I have had several drum brake 66's. All had to have the adjusters reworked when I got the cars. For a few dollars, you can get an entire setup. I apply a bit of lube to all the parts that have to move and have had extremely good luck with the adjusters working proper. After that, an annual inspection is all I ever had to do.

Last car had non power discs.....it was nice not to worry about them at all but the normal stopping was pretty much the same. The amount of applied pressure to the pedal varies based on the master cylinder used from what I have seen.
 
I had drums on my 71 Bronco and it was a bear to keep adjusted. For someone that's used to new cars and their discs...not the way to go IMO.
 
I had no problem driving with drums on Gert for the 6 months she was on the road before I started taking things apart. I didn't even notice much of a stopping difference between Gert and my Sebring. :shrug
So I'm still keeping drums all the way around on it for a while. :part
 
a little birdie told me of a new kit that 05 gt brakes on drum/disc spindles and will clear stockers...just a thought
 
"silverblueBP" said:
I spent a ridiculous amount on my front disc brakes. What that provides me is irreplaceable;
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So what does that provide you with? You can't be talking of slowing or stopping because you've proven time and time again you don't need brakes for that.
 
"blue65coupe" said:
So what does that provide you with? You can't be talking of slowing or stopping because you've proven time and time again you don't need brakes for that.
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:jack :kburn

Mel
 
"blue65coupe" said:
So what does that provide you with? You can't be talking of slowing or stopping because you've proven time and time again you don't need brakes for that.
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Yeah, brakes work tremendously with the motor on a stand :roll
 
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