Projects Nothing to see here - Just another boring Merc build

Great thread ! My avatar has a big nail head.I will be following this build.

 

I'm running into a problem on the rear end. It's supposed to be a '65 Econoline. It's got 10" x 2 1/2" shoes. Having a hard time finding drums, unless I wanna pay $500 for a pair. It' looking like they're the same as '63-'67 Fairlane wagon & '66 Falcon Ranchero. Not your everyday Explorer **** that's being used. Any ideas where to find some? Rockauto.com is my go-to, but everything's out of stock, and expensive as hell.

 

hey Dave. i have a set of brakes/backing plates and drums that are 11x2 that i took off a 9" ford and put on disc brakes for a customer about 10 years ago. they have been sitting on the shelf and i hated to throw them in the metal dumpster. If you want them you can have them. i dont know if that would help you along or not

 

Thanks, Chris. But I just found & ordered brake drums - whoa boy. Rare & expensive for these 2 1/2" brakes. Apparently, since they used them on Shelby's, they are twice as much as a Mustang. Best I could find was just over $200/pr delivered. I was expecting to get them in town for half that. I also have another 9" that has 11" brakes. I didn't want to change them, as I already had the backing plates mounted and all the new parts to put on them. Don't throw those out.

 

if you want these Dave stop and pick them up. they are nice and clean with fairley new shoes and hardware on them

 

Well, of course. The brake drums are on backorder. I can't find these anywhere.
Ford# CZ031126A
Centric# 123.65007
'64-'67 Econoline fits front & rear (w/ 9")
'63-'67 Fairlane Wagon rear
'66 Falcon Ranchero rear
'65-'66 Shelby GT350 rear
'67 Shelby rear
I have the original drums that look like they'd clean up OK, but I bent both of them trying to get them off the axles. Tried straightening them out but gave up. Might have to revisit this, or go to 11"X2", or maybe the 10"X1 3/4" shoes will go on my backing plates. Those drums I have found. Really not trying to go to rear discs.

 

You might try these guys on EBAY.
Quick Performance Racing
100% positive feedback•207K items sold
Joined Oct 2000
Usually responds within 24 hours
High Performance Axles, Housings, Gears, Spools, Differentials, Brake Kits, Bearing Kits, & Third Members.

 

@akoutlaw Lots of parts, but I don't see them having any drums of any size.

A further search on eBay, finds some I think are correct. They are all over $200 EACH.
Still digging around the web w/ new part #s.

 

I bought a set of 9" Ford drums & complete brake kits with backing plates from them. They had lots of options available at that time a couple years ago.

 

Hell if it were me I'd take @cshades up on his offer but I'm a ****er for largesse.
Coincidentally got a delivery from Quick Performance today. The flyer therein lists an 11" drum brake kit for 9" Ferd rears complete, new backing plates drums and internals for $350. Did I mention how awesome cshades offer is?

https://www.quickperformance.com/Ford-9-Inch-Drum-brake-kit_p_4031.html

 

@34 5W Paul & @akoutlaw you both mention COMPLETE KITS, and I'm looking for 10"X2.5" drums only. I looked at their eBay site and saw no individual drums. Yes, I could use the larger diameter drums/backing plates, etc. on my axle. The problem is that I already have all new everything for the 10"X2.5" set up. At this point, I'd rather spend $100 each on those drums, than $350 for the 11". And, if my math is correct, 11 x 2 = 22 and 10 x 2.5 = 25. Isn't that more stopping area? After digging around the web & finding cross reference numbers, I searched those & ordered a pair but will have to wait & see if they're gonna be backordered as well or show up and be the wrong ones.

 

heck,why worry about the rear brakes-front's do the work!

 

I didn't look thru their whole website. I recommended the information as a possible place that might have the drums that you are looking for. You might try calling them or emailing them and inquire if they have the drums that you need or maybe can steer you to someone that offers them.

 

Just let go of a good running sbc/700R for $450 because it was in my way. Might regret that later, but I'm liking the room around my ch***is better. I'm in the downsizing mood. Or at least keeping cooler/older junk around, and making my life easier. I've got the steering linkage completed. Looks like it'll work. Next up: bending the sway bar to fit the new A-arms and making link pins that will work with the mismatched parts. Hoping to get ch***is done far enough to drop the engine and trans in and build mounts soon.

 

Good thread. I'm just here hoping to see to see your Merc at Symco this year.

 

I'll be there, but probably in my '47 Buick. Drove the Merc up there quite a few years ago. My shop is a one-man operation. I can't finish them in 30 minutes like on TV.

 

RockAuto shows the Centric and the Raybestos drums for that application in stock. 2626R is the Raybestos one.

 

That roofline might be the best GM ever did. Looking forward to seeing yours @ Symco!

 

@34 5W Paul Yup. Those are in stock. Except the ones under it are the right ones. Fits front, and rear with 2 1/2" shoes. At $147 each, I'm still looking for an alternative. I have some coming from another place. They were listed as correct, but the pic showed different. I'll find out soon.

 

OK. These are a little weird looking with the flat face but seem to fit. I found them on Amazon, of all places. They were listed under the part # I was looking for, but the pics showed as 4-hole bolt pattern. Took a chance, and they were 5-holes. The description was correct; the pic was wrong. About $100 cheaper/pair than RockAuto. Now I can put the rear brakes together, get 4 wheels bolted on, and start putting the eng/trans in. Yay!

 

As a former rural mail carrier of about 30 years, I've probably done more brake work than most. I have never had such a hard time putting together drum brakes before. I swear I needed 3 hands, and they all needed to be half of the size, and twice the strength that I have. Effin' Fords. Got to love the ease of GMs.
I'll probably have to dis***emble them again, when I get the E brake cables figured out. Of course, '49 Merc is a one year only front cable. ***uming the rears are same '49-'51?

 

In '51 the stock Mercury rear switched to a Dana 44 instead of the oddball they had the first two years, so I wouldn't ***ume that the rear parking brake cables are the same for all 3 years. They might be, but it's worth investigating.

 

Considering I'm using an Econoline rear, I'm not sure if the Merc stuff will work either. I'll need to try it out, and if it doesn't fit, buy some new rears that will fit the rear axle. Just trying to use off-t******lf stuff when possible, before using a "universal" kit that fits nothing.

 

I rounded up four junk 215 75 15 tires and mounted them to the wheels I'm hoping to run. Being off the jack stands and on wheels/tires feels like progress.

 

OK. Looking for advice. I need to modify the stock sway bar to work with my new lower A-arms. First thought was to bend it until it might work, but I'd still have to make something to connect it to the Lower A-arm link pin. I'm not wanting to change the tabs on the powder coated arms.
New plan-

This should work fine if I cut the last bend off and:
A) Weld a tab to the bar for the link pins to bolt to. Or,
B) Use the bracket I made (shown), slip it over the cut bar, and drill through/bolt to the bar with two 1/4" bolts.
There is a little "play" between the bar's OD & the tubing's ID. Probably could put some PTFE tubing or
something in there to take up the space & make quiet & smooth. Or,
C) Cut the bar about another 2" shorter, drill/tap the end, and use that to bolt a Heim end to it, which would be
the top end of the link pins.
These are listed in order of ease, and parts available. Welding to the bar is frowned upon, but it would be right at the end, and I doubt it would cause a problem. I'd prefer to use stock style GM link pins with rubber bushings (I have a new pair), so A & B are my first choices. C would be easy to do, but I'd have to find some 3/8" female rod ends, and since they all seem to be 3/8-24, they won't screw on the 3/8-16 link pins. So, I'd have to get new fine threaded bolts for those. A trip to get hardware is about a 30-mile round trip for me.
B is the way I'm leaning, so drilling and bolting through the bar is OK?