Tech: Buick drums with a Swedish flavor!

Since the old Ford hubs is getting harder to get (at least here in Sweden), I was thinking of an alternative way of mount Buick drums on 39 spindles. So here it is Buick drums with a Swedish flavor.


This is what I started with Volvo 444 or Volvo 122 (Amazon) drums.



The reason for this is that I mounted Volvo discs quite easy on my Model A Roadster. And i thought that since Volvo was reluctant to change specifications it may work.



With the use of a big hammer I managed to remove the bolts and separate the hub from the drum.



This is a original Volvo hub to the left and a modified Volvo Buick hub.



From another view.



You need to go to you friendly shop and have the hub diameter machined down slightly (my ended up with a dia of 80 mm). Then I got a ca 3mm thick ring made, and its as wide as the thickness of the Buick drum. The original Volvo hub is around one millimeter to small to fit from the start.



You also need a small distance (spacer), with a recess mounted to the inside of the spindle.



It's around 8mm wide and have the same diameter as the spindle.



Then I had the drum drilled for 4 1/2 inch five bolt pattern that is the standard Old Volvo Bolt pattern The hub comes with this boltpattern . And mounted some new bolts.



I also had to have the inside of the drum cut down a bit to get the ford back plate to fit, but this is standard procedure.



All mounted and bolted up.



Here is the distance and the original Ford bearing mounted. For the disc setup I needed to get a special inner bearing and race, but I have not figured this one out yet. Will let you know how it goes. Shloud be no biggie thoug just do some meassuring and get down to the bearing salesman.



Here its test mounted. The outer bearing is Standard Ford or Volvo (Its the same!!!)



Here is the backside, looking good in my book.



Now I only need to get new brakeshoes fixed and some cylinders and we are ready to run…..

 

Pretty slick. Nice idea, nice work.

 

cool, good to see people thinking outside the square and using whats available..... Kiwi's seem to do alot of this the joys of not being able to get original replacement parts for things I guess.

 

Great tech! I'm planning a retro from Volvo disc's to Buick drums, and that would let me keep the bolt pattern. Have any extra hubs? Hard to find over here, in 10-UH-C.

 

If you need Volvo parts...check out www.brickboard.com

It's a Volvo forum. There are sections for the older cars.