I read this article and had some questions but it wouldn't let me post in that article so here are my questions. First it mentions "2 bearing spacers and two backing plate spacer rings." the backing plate spacer rings are piston rings, correct? and what are the 2 bearing spacers. Also for the rears it mentions axle shims what are those? Sorry if these are dumb questions but I am 16 and building my first car from the ground up.
I've heard about the piston ring trick many times. You can buy the spacers for the front from Speedway for about $20. You can also fab your own ring or have someone with a lathe do it. You'd need a ring that is 3.625- inch inside diameter, 3.937-inch outside diameter, 1/8th inch thick. I've heard you can use a piece of 4" inch schedule 40 pipe to machine down. If you have a fence company nearby, thats does chain link/gate work, ask them for a piece of scrap. They throw it out anyway. The bearing spacer on the front spindle snout keeps the drum setback from rubbing against the shoes. I dont have the dimensions for that. On the rear, you have to the drum a few thousands of an inch away from the backing plates otherwise they'll bind. The shims are basically a thin piece of metal wrapped around the spindle. They sell them for all early ford rears, especially for when they wear. You can use a thin piece of tin. It starts at one edge of the axle key to the opposite edge.
In the old days, the outer spacer was merely a Model A piston ring. The small inner spacer was a Flathead V8 valve seat. Both parts directly out of Henry's parts bin!
The Jalopy Journal
