49 Chevy huck brakes

Bad rear drums, ft drums won't last.
Shoes soaked.
Have new master, hoses, w/c kits.

Is there a fix, swap, mod for the drums?

 

I converted my 50 to the 51-54 style, (bendix?) just swapped everything over from a 54 spindles uprights and all...(54 have 7/8 lower uprights)... not sure if that is the solution you want, but might be an option... I think all you really need to do is swap over the backing plates hubs and drums from the 51-4

 

Before you leap...I have heard that the Bendix brakes will not interchange on the rear, and that the whole rear must be swapped. I can't verify this.

 

Yeah, thanks that's the solution I've found in searching.
But my problem is the REAR, in doing that particular upgrade I would need everything up to the tail shaft of the transmission.
Or so I've read.
What would be ideal, in upgrading my brakes would be getting just the backing plates for the rear, they are rivited on.
Somehow everyone's posts thus far say its impossible to modify the late torque tube backing plates to the 49-50?
If I didn't live out in the middle of the pacific it would be quite easy to motor around and find the parts, but shipping a rear end and tail shaft alone would cost over a grand.
Pretty expensive to "try it out"
I've hit up a couple of guys over Craigslist that had the parts, but they don't respond after the find out I'm out of state.
Or they realize they would have to grind the rivits off to get to the backing plates.

 

seems to me that the center sections are interchangable, so maybe all you would need is just the rearend housing itself?

 

that sounds right. You can look up the parts in the parts book, too

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/1929_57chevyparts/index.htm

 

Best fix is a '54 rear from a P'glide car, 3.55 ratio, cruise and stop!

 

Well when I figure it out, I'll post up the answer.

 

I have the same situation (not on an island) and I decided to rebuild the Huck brakes. We'll see how it goes.

 

Rant: Well ****it, all this off topic **** about swapping this and kits for that.
It's ok to do this and not ok to do that.
******* ****in ********.
A simple problem, brakes for my car.
The definitive answer is part out another cl***ic, bolt or weld in a kit.
I don't want a kit car.
Out of millions of drums, no one has ever made one work?
What a joke.
If I put my thinking cap on, it sounds like there is no correct way or safe way to put my car on the road before it rusts into the earth.
Rant over.

Well for now I'm going to weld up the rear drums and make sleeves for them until I figure something else out.

 

Send your **** out to White Post Restorations to get everything sleeved. Drink a case of beer. Install new hoses & hardware. Drink a case of beer. Turn your drums. Drink. Resume cruising.

 

Well here are my options.

1) disc brake kit for front, use front drums and parts to fix rear huck brakes.
While using new stock 49 style master with p-valve.

2) outlaw the **** out of this car including an s-10 frame swap, sbc with a 4 speed shift

Whatcha think?
Fiddle **** around with brakes, or just dig in and make three cars into one?

 

omg, Why would you frame swap? If you're planning on doing that, just convert to open drive.

 

# 1 would be the most intelligent idea. And probably cost effective too. I'm 99% certain all you need is the 51-54 rear axle housing but it's been years since I played with 49-54 Chevy's.

 

I rebuilt the Huk brakes on my '49 and drove the piss outta the thing! The only annoyance was the increased brake adjustment schedule, like every 3 months!

 

Thanks to a very helpful member, looks like I found some 53 front end parts.
So I can update the front, and use to the extra parts to fix the rear!
Thanks Tony!
I can't wait to drive her again.