Help, what brakes do I have? New to rods

man, I had 40 Ford brakes with buick drums and it stopped on a dime. The finned drums help cool the shoes, so it stopps faster. If set up correctly they work great. You may need to adjust them, make sure the rear brakes are good too. What master cylinder do you have ? and what size lines ?

 

There's a bunch of bullshit stinkin up this thread.

Those brakes should be able to stop that car like a BOSS. If they don't they're not setup right like most of these guys are sayin. I have this same combo on my Coupe. It stops like a god damn porsche.

Don't go to discs, that's lame. Some guys put them on cause they're easier or cheaper and thats OK, but you already have the good stuff. Make it work right it will be worth it.

 

1. Kill the hydraulic problem and get the air out.
2. Get the shoes and the drums to the same radius.
3. Stop.

 

No don't stop there make sure the entire car is deratified.
Jalopies forever.

I just noticed something in this pic, see where the master is leaking down the firewall and destroying the paint? If your master is drooling all over your friewall it is usually a good indication that you either need to replace it or rebuild it, if fluid can get out past the piston and seal air can get in.

 

I would love to keep this setup and stay away from disk. And it sounds like these brakes are plenty good. So I will stick with it and make them work. As for the paint rot, that's from me having the MC lid off and doing sloppy poors while bleeding. It's not from leaking. I will replace the lines and joints between the MC and WC. As far as what MC I have, no clue. There are NO markings on it to cross reference.

 

+1

I still grind my own with an original Amco machine. Have to make up sanding belts to fit it, but works great.

I've been told that the oldtimers would cut an arc into the she so that as the shoe flexed it would fit the drum better. Any truth to this? Previously I've gone for the best concentricity - IE it fits the drum with no visible gap.

 

Another way, but good only before relining, was rearcing the shoes by hammer...there usetawas special curved brake anvils.
Hand fitting is usually done by just holding shoes into drum, then hitting the appropriate places with a grinder until reasonable contact is achieved.
With seriously bad arc you might have only a very small area in actual contact and wearing in without prep will take a long time, likely more time than you will live wth 20% contact in the brakes...

 

yeah i know him

 

I wish someone with a camera would do a good TECH article on complete setup of ford brakes, including rebuildg the wheel cylinders, arching the shoes, etc. If more people knew how to do it, there would probably be less hideous disks on open wheel cars.

 

I compair mine to disc brakes too...it stops on a dime and gives you 9 cents change. Im not bullshitting either, it really stops better than my s10 with disc brakes. Ive had a few guys pull out in front of me at high speed and had to panic stop, it put my teeth on the windshield.

 

Well, after all the good feedback from those that responded, I've decided to make these drums work no matter what. I pulled the drums back off last night to look at the wear pattern on the new shoes and drums. They're was hardly any on the front pads and zero on the back. Had a friend step on the peddle while I watched the wheel cylinders and they aren't moving hardly at all. Soo, I think it's the air problem. I'm not getting enough juice to the wc's to push the shoes out. I will be pulling the master cylinder off tonight and see if I can luck out that Napa may have one, but not holding my breath. Also noticed when I press the brake, the whole master cylinder assembly flexes upwards. It's held on by just the 2 mc bolts on the firewall. So I'm losing some of the peddle to flex. So I'm going to make a 1/4" backing plate to mount on the inside firewall to help with that. Hopefully a new MC fixes my air problem and I can get some actual contact from my shoes.