5/2/2024 0 Comments 1961 thunderbird brake drumsI don't mean to bore you with math but consider this. ![]() Fifteen thousandths, on shoes that are 12-times thicker! Why would a drum diameter difference of 1/32" matter? BTW, the arc goes by the radius which is, 1/32 divided by 2 = 1/64" or 0.0156". When the drum is turned true (is there any other way?) and new shoes are mounted, you can expect braking so good your life can depend on it for many ten-thousands of stops. One of our members in California got a "high-performance" drum brake job. Just about all Ford, Lincoln, Mercury cars in all of North America If you go to and click on all the part numbers for Squarebird brakes you will discover, the same Squarebird brakes fit a host of cars in the same range of years like: This was common practice.įord didn't make our 11" brakes. There were no self-adjusters and because new brakes quickly go out of adjustment as they bed-in, garages offered the first brake adjustment for free. Disk systems are even more simple.īack in the day, the only guys that arc'ed shoes were racing guys who shaved off every ounce of weight possible. They are simple and as such, few things can go wrong. Maybe look into radiusing them.Drum brake systems are VERY low-tech which is exactly why they work so well. I think I'll get shoes from out T-Bird specialists who seem to know the differences. So when I look in the Concourse catalog, they show 1960 shoes to be 11&1/32. So right away, I wonder if I was running 11" shoes thanks to a mistaken supplier. Anyway, then he found out no, they are over 11 originally, and he could cut them out more. Then I recall a thread here where someone thought their drums were already cut to the limit, being 11.90 (or was it 11.09?). Speaking of which: I see my worn shoes are thin in the middle, and almost original at the ends. I think some rebuilders mis-identify their incoming returns. Maybe this off season.Īnd bad/wrong parts! I remember a water pump that didn't fit. But not in the middle of 'driving season' when we want to be using it. I'd like to do disks, esp since those scarebird pioneers worked out all the part numbers and rim tips. Of course by the second strut install, the store was closed and I was a mess. How many of you bought a PAIR of new McPherson struts in sealed boxes with RH & LH part numbers, brought them home to a car waiting on jack stands and opened the SECOND ONE to find out it was the same-hand as the first. I have made new slots in the back plates because the OEM hole was not inline with the new self adjuster's star wheel. ![]() I have drilled holes in shoes that should have been there but weren't (particularly on re-lined shoes). Sometimes this was part of a brake shoe change and sometimes it was just because the self adjusters stopped working.ĭo all shoes have correct holes for self adjusters? Hey, I'm a restorer/hobbiest/etc. There are many times I pulled star wheels out just to free them up. If the star wheel and associated components start to rust from driving through flooded streets, they tend to bind and stop working. They are made of simple and cheap sheet metal and cable. Self adjusting components are housed in a semi-enclosed and confined space. It was frustrating and it proved the necessity for a huge steering wheel diameter. Our '59 Galaxie pulled terribly, one way when the brakes were cold then the opposite way when warm. This is partially the reason for pulling brakes but not the only reason. Sometimes primary and secondary shoes look similar but they clearly are not. I have seen just about every combination of mis-matched sets of shoes possible. ![]() Self adjusters are never used on disk brakes because the pads don't have retract springs. Disks are open, cannot pool water and they dry out fast. They hold water if not 'dried out' immediately. MikeI meant it very literally, stay out of water with drum brakes. There's plenty good reasons to do the conversion.Īnd hey, simply connected: Is that what you meant by 'staying out of water'? Disks aren't bothered by water like drums? I'm assuming here. Although I've never had much, if any, pulling problem. That's just one more reason there's so much on here about the disk brake conversion.
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