I have s question on using 57-8 Buick finned drums on 48 Ford rear brakes. Can you use the front drums and convert them to fit the Ford rear. I have been told they are both 12inch diameter. Am I barking up the wrong tree or can it be done? Front brakes will be disc's due to Australia's registration laws (Going to use the hidden So-Cal disk's with Buick finned covers) Thanks guys
Do you mean 57 to 68 Buick finned drums? I have a set and was thinking of putting the fronts on the back of my Cad rear end. If the hubs are removed it looks like it should work.
Should work the same as the fronts. Use an outside flange Ford hub, turn the register to fit the Buick drum, drill and tap the flange for the 5 on 5-1/2 pattern, use tap bolts for studs, and turn the aluminum away from the iron liner on the drum to clear the lip on the backing plate.
Thank you guys, the HAMB just gets better and better. Always find an answer no matter how obvious or obscure the question. Cheers, Doc.
I know a guy who just did this. He also had to turn down the inner part of the hub that houses the bearing to get it to fit through the hole in the Buick drum to ***emble it, but other than that it was the same procedure as the front.
I have a pair of Ford F2 [53'] which should work on early ford rears; better because they are Bendix syle. Only down side is have to drill hole for emergency brake cable.
Not sure on the drums; but I put some mid-sixty Buick rear backing plates on a 9" for use with 45 fin aluminum drums. Mine was a small bearing rear and I had to make a centering ring to pilot the backing plate along with drilling new holes. Lynn Pew provided me the info on this set-up. He said with a big bearing 9" you need to slightly enlarge the center hole in the backing plate and fix a couple of the holes. I had my machinist buddy (RIP) make a couple rings to pilot the drums on the axle registers. The offset just lets the drums to match the brake shoes.
When I set up F-2 brakes for a banjo rear; I usually make up a tube similar to the early Ford tube so they can be used with a stock style E-brake cable.
Thats a nice set up, I was looking at a 9inch axle and bearings conversion that is available. This would work out well.