Buick Drums on Ford 9"

OK, so I got everything done on the front of my T and the Buick drums look oh so pretty, but now I'm having a tough time with the rear end. I'm using a big-bearing Ford 9" rear axle and I want to use Buick drums on it too, but can't find a vehicle that came with a 9" rearend and 12" brakes. I redrilled the holes in my Buick backing plates and fit them on the axle housing and everything was great until I slid the drum over the hub and realized that a half inch of the pads weren't inside the drum. The recess in the center of the Buick backing plates sets the brake pads too far inward for the drums. I'm sure someone on the HAMB has done this, but after searching all I can find are the threads relating to fitting Buick drums on the front of a vehicle...not the rear. Anyone have any suggestions on a different backing plate/brake setup to use or maybe a way to space the Buick backing plate away from the axle housing an inch or so?

 

I'd like to hear about putting buick drums on the rear of a banjo. Any tech on rear buicks would be great!

 

I'm setting up a Frankland Q.C. with (10" original model) - with 3" axle tubes and big Ford bearings. I'm using some Wilson Welding finned backing plates for the Buick drums -- Bob Wilson can supply them with a big Ford bolt pattern. On mine, I will be having custom axles made (as the rear end is a custom setup anyway).

I got the DOM axle tubes in from Currie, had the "slip fit" ends prepped on a crank grinder to 3.001 exactly (as the DOM tubing is 3.004 in raw form).

We're just about finished making our own rearend alignment bar (to keep everything aligned during bracket and bearing end welding ). I won't be ready to put all the pieces together for 1 - 2 months (have to finish the frame jig and setup the frame rails and rear Model A cross member . . . and I'm waiting for a special rear spring from Posies ). Anyway - I'll do a complete tech article and picture post of the complete fabrication and setup -- might help the next guy. Always more to learn . . . just need to keep plugging away at it!

I know the finned backing plates from Wilson are not inexpensive, but they come with a complete brake setup and the fin pattern matches the Buick 45 fin drum . . . way cool looking IMHO.

Take er' easy . . .

Dale