1952-59 Ford Brakes on my 56 really suck

I took my 56 Fairlane on a drive a couple of weekend ago. I usually only drive it around my neighborhood where the roads are fairly level with some minor grades. This time I went down the road with about 2 miles of down hill grades with curves. I had such bad brake fade when I reached the bottom. It almost didn't want to stop yet brake pedal pressure felt normal. I'd driven that grade before and didn't experience the amount brake fade then.
I took the brakes apart last Saturday but everything looked ok except for a little glazing on the shoes. The brakes are the original type with no modifications to the system.
Could old brake fluid be an issue because everything else looked ok?

 

You could probably use new shoes and have the drums cut and see great improvement. Drums that are too thin get hot quickly, make sure they can be cut safely. Riding the pedal with drum brakes will cause them to heat up faster too.

I doubt that old brake fluid is the problem, it never hurts to flush an old system during brake service, the fluid gets dirty and attracts moisture.

 

I agree with all that bobss396 mentioned and also wonder if the brakes are power or manual? In general, I have had many 4 wheel drum brake vehicles that can stop great as long as they aren't in situations where they heat up and start to fade. My only issue ever running brake systems similar to what we have on these cars is using an old pickup to tow my car hauler. Without trailer brakes, that isn't sufficient from what I have experienced when compared to better braking systems on newer vehicles.

 

There's plenty of meat left on the front drums. They've maybe only been turned once since there's less than 31K on the car.
I hard not to ride the brakes on the way down since it's a Fordomatic and it doesn't want to just stay in 2nd and putting it low just puts too much strain on the engine. It's funny I drive an '01 Crown Vic down the same hill at twice the speed and use the brakes a lot. Discs on all 4 wheels really make a difference. I'm just not ready to upgrade the 56 to discs but it sounds like I may have to.

 

When you inspected the shoes was the glazing in only one area or evenly across the entire brake shoe. In the "old days" the shoes were arced so they would be concentric with the drums in today's shops this practice is no longer done and most new brake machines are not even made to do it. Most over the counter semi-metallic brake shoes are not all that great quality wise you can have your existing drum brake shoes upgraded for less fade by having them relined with a Kevlar lining like used on commercial trucks this will reduce brake fade and drum wear by 20%-25%. or you could go with this company http://store.cobraautomotive.com/br...erformance-street-and-autocross-compound-set/ the shoe part number is a 263 (11" X 2.25") Ford used these for well over a decade on several vehicles for instance the rear of 1967-1975 Ford LTD's which would be a good source of parts to convert your front drums to self adjusting brakes. Having the Kevlar done locally would probably cost less you might call around https://www.brakeandclutchsupply.com/locations.shtml

 

No they were glazed all the way over.
I never liked working on drum brakes. I had a brake guy in the 80's that would arc shoes. He had a machine for that. He showed me how he did it once. The odd thing he told me was that it was no longer legal to be doing it but did it anyway. I don't know if that was true or not.
I'd like to convert the brakes to be self adjusting. I had a heck of time adjusting them because it seemed I was turning the adjusting wheel one way and the other and all it seemed to do was get tight and then loose. It just turned out I wasn't turning the adjuster enough in the right direction.
I used to drive a 51 Cadillac down the same hill and it didn't fade ever. It looked like its brakes had less braking surface than my 56 Ford's. I'll have to compare specs to be for sure on that.

 

I did some googling for a brake supply place in Portland like the ones in the Seattle area and found nothing. There used to be a couple of companies a few years back that are gone now. Portland is getting to really **** when it comes to the car hobby with more and more companies going away or closing.

 

Man, I had to look around here at 10 local brake shops to find one that still would/could turn drums and arc shoes. Most said, as Bleach mentioned, those days are gone. That they weren't allowed (liability issues) and environmental of course.. brake dust, asbestos etc. Finally found a place that did it secretly Shh! Like an old gambling joint where the guy peaks through a little hole in the door!

 

I know one local mechanic near me that works on a lot of older cars. I'll try to check with him if he does any arcing. I have a NAPA in town that turns rotors so I think they would turn drums.

 

After they quit arc shoes, I started doing it with a body file and my vise mounted on my bench. I was patient and they looked/worked good.
As a point I went to Wilwood for their disc kit on my 56 non power car. Their kit had 4 piston and not a single and floater. They work great using their 7/8" MC but would be even better with a 3/4".
Self adjusting front drums were not really a good idea. Backing up is when it's done and they will/can get too tight.

 

I have a new original type power brake booster for my 56 but I haven't installed yet. Part of the reason I haven't got around to installing it is I don't have all the hardware or the vacuum pipes. It's been sitting in a box in my trunk for the last 5 years.
I think I've looked at Wildwood's stuff but I think it was a bit too expensive for me.

 

Arcing shoes was outlawed in NY in 1976. I know some truck shops still do it. I'd try a local truck shop to re-line the shoes, arc the shoes if possible and cut the drums. Use a relatively co**** cut on the drums, like a #4 or #6 on an old Ammco drum lathe. My rear shoes took a little while to break in. I hit the trailing and leading edges of the shoes with a wood rasp, can do it on the car or hold the shoes in a bench vise. Keep the angle shallow.

 

I think I've looked at Wildwood's stuff but I think it was a bit too expensive for me.[/QUOTE]

I agree but the E-Bay kits for under $500 sacared me a bit. There are companies that just sell the bracket and you can wrecking yard or Pep Boys the rest. Same with M/C's. I understand the early 70's Mustang's the way to go. I did not want to change spindles and I'm currently using my children's inheritance for my cars... Good Luck

 

If I went with discs are there good kits that use the original spindles? Mine are in great shape including both ball joints. I don't want any Chinese **** either.
Are the Mustang M/C's a complete bolt in swap? I still have the original one pot M/C and it works fine.

 

This company is listed in the "Sticky FAQ" https://www.performanceonline.com/1954-56-ford-car-mercury-car-disc-brake-conversion-kit/

 

I might have seen these somewhere before. Anyone have experience with them? I think the offset might have been an issue with the stock wheels.

 

Anyone try these? I think I may have browsed their products before.
https://www.speedshopstore.com/brak...22-d-ford-1954-1956-front-disc-brake-kit.html

 

This is the kit I used with the Wilwood M/C which had a prop valve added. Because of the "tees" in the system I only needed 2 short brake lines down to the 2 tee's and remove the line in between. I also needed one line plug for one of the tees.
If ordering the Wilwood MC get the Mustang pedal adapter and adjustable rod. made the job ez. They were the one who said to use the 7/8" bore on the MC. They do now offer a smaller MC which I wish I would have bought. I did not want a power booster as I feel they look like **** under a hood. I am also using 1995 Ford F150 rear drum brakes with a 15/16" wheel cylinders.

 

Yeah, there's no way I would install a modern power booster in my car. I'm even not too excited about a Mustang M/C. I understand it from a safety point but I've driven many cars with single pot M/C's over 35 years and never had a problem.
Would it even be possible to use a Midland brake booster with a dual M/C?

 

Yes,just boost the fronts only.

 

Go to the Prestige Thunderbird website in Santa Fe Springs Ca. They have a conversation kit with can be used with the fender mount Bendix style booster. They just boost the front. I've been to their shop and talked to many of the T-Bird owners who use their system and like it.
Also if you can look at a 1965 Mustang with disc brakes that has NOT been changed. it has a fruit jar style single MC with 2 lines out of it with a prop valve on the inner fender behind the left spring/shock tower.

 

The link does have a "ask a question" to click on. https://www.performanceonline.com/1954-56-ford-car-mercury-car-disc-brake-conversion-kit/

 

I saw the link but I was wondering if anyone has used the kit here and could offer actual feedback.
I like the POL kit since it uses GM calipers and I have a lot of experience with them. However the Wildwood kit looks like better quality overall but I'm not sure about getting rebuild parts for their calipers. The Wildwood kit also looks like it's come down in price since I last looked at it.

 

I noticed none of the kits have a backing plate for the rotors. I don't like the idea of the rear surface of the rotor exposed to the elements.

 

This kit has splash shields:https://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-1955-...489136&hash=item362f09b78c:g:R~0AAOSwznVav-ZF

 

This looks like the set for me even though I'll need to swap spindles. The price is reasonable because they include the spindles and dust shields plus free shipping.
Thanks for the link Jeff. I think I'll buy it.After that I should get the right M/C. Mustang as mentioned earlier?

 

If you want to use the ball joints already in the car use a 1970's Lincoln Versailles spindle. Get a bolt in master and line kit from nascardave. No mods to the existing firewall or brake pedal rod. Very easy afternoon swap and no permanent mods to the car. That's a pretty expensive investment considering I bought the whole lincoln for less than that with a running 302 and a c6 and disc 9 inch rearend. Sold the motor and s****ped the car and came out with money in my pocket and a free parts. Even after buying new brake pads, bearings, and lines.

 

That would be the ideal situation but those are few and far between here. Even Granadas and Monarchs are rare as hen's teeth. Like I said earlier the Portland area really ****s for the old car hobby. Heck I'm even having trouble finding parts I need for my 2002 Ford Excursion.

 

Are they crushing everything in that area. I actually bought the Lincoln off of Craigslist I see quite a few Lincoln Versailles, Granadas, and monarchs around here. Of course I'm in the Tulsa Oklahoma area and I've got Wichita, Kansas City, Joplin, Fort Smith, Oklahoma City, all in short driving distance if need be. I hate to hear that areas are unfriendly to the hobby. You should definitely check with nascardave on here before you order anything. He owns drop and stop and his parts are very reasonable, he has a lot of knowledge, and was very helpful to me. He sent pictures and descriptions and answered any questions I had.

 

I'll look into nascardave and see what he has to offer. I'd like to save some money if I can.
In the past I' was able to rely on local people and companies for my automotive needs. I could call someone somewhere and get what I need the same day. Not anymore. I rarely even find what I need for my daily drivers locally except for oil and filters.
I'm glad I didn't buy a project car to start with and I probably never will again while I live where I do,