So I’m debating changing my backing plate from original? (See photo) to bendix on what appears to be a late 30s/40s ford rear end. I’ve seen a couple posts on here with mixed results on speedway motors kit. Couple questions for people: 1) thoughts on speedway vs bolting brothers vs another brand people like? May main goal is limited/no grinding and modifications…. 2) 1 3/4 vs 2 inch kits. Inside of my current drums is 2 inches but was talking to my great uncle and he thought all drums were the same and it’s just the backing plate that accommodates the different sizes. Thoughts/preferences? This on the rear and I still got original 40s style front for now. But going to change that soon too. 3) debating keeping current drums… anything to check on them?
I've sold a lot of the Boling Bros Lincoln brakes over the years. The 1.75 backing plates with original Ford drums & hubs is the most economical conversion.The 1.75 rear loaded backing plates retail for $600, I sell them for$540 plus shipping. The 2 inch conversion requires new drums, reusing your original hubs with new studs. They currently are out of rear hubs. 2 inch loaded rear backing plates retail for $575 your cost $518, Pair of Boling Bros USA made drums retail $360 your cost $324. plus shipping. I highly recommend using Boling Bros parts as they are USA made and very high quality. Same discount for the front parts. Gary at Cornhusker
Boling Brothers brakes work well; I've put them on both my '40 and 'A' roadster. Just on the front, but well worth the money...
The Speedway Lincoln backing plates are Boling Bros but their drums are foreign made. Compare prices. I can't compete with free freight but a lot of rodders have bought from me anyway.
Cool, thank you for the info. So yeah I’ll probably go with 1.75 inch because it sounds the easiest with reusing old drums and as @krylon32 said most economical. do people know what the backing plate outer finish is on speedway boling bros vs there website vs @krylon32 ? “free shipping” on speedway is a good selling point but maybe I’m missing something but the only one I can find with 1 3/4 is this listing and it’s $720 and on back order https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Bend...r-1937-48-Ford-Rear-12-x-1-3-4-Inch,7374.html Do boling bros ones have the emergency brake hole and hardware for cable etc?
Also since it looks like 2 inch ones are in stock at speedway and I kindof want to keep momentum going, if I were to order those, @krylon32 you said I need new studs?
Get them from the source or at least a HAMBer. https://www.bolingbrothers.com/1935-1948-rear-backing-plate-***embly/ I bought mine over a decade ago from a HAMBer and they were unpainted also.
If your thinking of getting the brakes from Speedway they should be able to provide you with the additional information your looking for.
@1oldtimer I agree better to buy from HAMBer or local. @krylon32 has been super helpful and I’m messaging with him privately to order a set. thank you all for your help. later this year I plan to do the fronts. Not sure if I want disc or bendix style drums like doing on rear…
I’ve got Lincoln brakes on the front of my 32, and 40 Ford on the rear. It stops just fine. I have a set of Lincolns for the rear too, but haven’t found a round tuit yet. I’d say the ease of installing Lincoln style brakes, and allowing traditional wheels of all types to still fit, outweighs any additional benefit of disks.
Little update and follow up question. I got the backing plates from @krylon32, super cool and came fast. Painted them, ***embled them and went to install and noticed it was getting hung up on something… backstory on car, it’s a 1932 ford roadster that was my grandpas for 65 years. After he p***ed, went to my mom but she doesn’t have a garage so I store it and take care of it. i ***umed that the rear end was a late 30s early 40s banjo rear end but I believe now it’s a 1932-1934 rear as the backing plate is getting hung up on the leaf spring support. I noticed, too late, that Boling brothers sells a 32-34 backing plate with a hole cut out for that leaf spring support and a slightly different angle on the ebrake cable…. so I’m going to cut out that notch in the back of the backing plate to allow the leaf spring support. Questions: 1) is it worth cutting and moving where the ebrake cable comes in? aesthetically it would look better with a lower entrance like boling bros has on there 32-34 but functionally seems ok as is? 2) how can I tell if it’s a late 30s/40s rear end that my grandpa welded on the support or if it’s a 32-34 rear end
I had the same problem, in addition to the problems you described, you will find that the wheel cylinders when installed will NOT be level and it will be next to impossible to bleed all of the air out. The difference is the way the backing plates are clocked ( '32 ) v. ('37 - '48). Contact Boling Bros. they have backing plates drilled in the correct orientation for a '32 rear axle. Hope this helps. Tom
Yes I did notice the wheel cylinders not level. See photo so your saying not even worth the effort to keep going cuz won’t bleed?
Any reason he couldn’t put a block under the front tires to level the wheel cylinder to bleed it? I’m ***uming that he’s thinking if the cylinder isn’t level that some bubbles could hide in the forward end of the cylinder? Seems a reach, awful lot of cars are on steep rakes and I’ve not once heard anyone complain about bleeding them
Front of the car to the left in the image so I may try jacking up the rear to get near level cuz got nothing to loose. I’ll keep you all posted this weekend while I’m working on this. Any way to tell what year the rear end is? Or probably a 32-34 based on spring mount?
Great, thank you. update: I got backing plates installed, hubs on and brakes bled. Well… rears bled, front driver was extra stuck and I didn’t want to round off bleed screw more than it already was… facepalm emoji. pedel firm on first push about an inch from the floor and holds pretty good, let go and do again and firm about 2 inches from the floor. I’ll check back in a couple hours and see how it holds and if I see any brake fluid around the rears. e brake doesn’t work, but then again it was finicky before… I added I lokar universal one on the floor, my grandpa didn’t have one
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