drum brakes for dummies

[dolinick]

I decided to replace the wheel cylinder on my front left wheel.

One of the questions I already have is about the drum. If I replace the brake shoes also. I assume I just take the drum to the garage where they will inspect it and or turn it for me.

[dolinick]

Okay so I got everything taken apart except for the rubber line. It is still connected to the truck and the cylinder. I don't have my set of wrenches and didn't want to come loose with my little adjustable wrench.

This is what I found when I got the drum off. Just a broken retaining spring thingy.


Anyway, a neighbor mechanic of mine stopped by and asked about my cars. He likes my nova. We got to talking and I agreed to trade him my '94 Crown Victoria for the labor if he does the work on my truck. He will do all four brakes, replace the exhaust/intake manifold gasked and rebuilt the carburetor. I need to pay the machine shop for the drums and exhaust manifold as well as purchase all of the parts.

I was planning on scrapping the crown victoria. Basically selling it to anyone just to get in hauled away. I put a battery in it and it started right up. It has major problems with front end, transmission, coolant leaks, windows don't roll up or down, and the seat bracket is broken.

photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolinick/s ... 9019/show/

[Mancar1]

Getting the drums checked and turned is a good idea. Sounds like you found a win win situation.

[dolinick]

My wife will be glad when the car is gone even though I gave it to her after we got engaged. Well her car died around the time we met...

I got her a 99 Suburban after we decided the Crown Victoria wasn't safe to drive anymore.

[dolinick]

Yesterday we got the cylinders, brake spring kits, automatic adjuster kit, the shoes and the rubber lines for the front. We also got the intake/exhaust manifold gasket and donut for the exhaust pipe. We put the brakes and rubber lines and cylinders and everything on the front.

Today my mechanic came over and pulled the manifolds and carb off and took the manifold and front drums to the machine shop. We went by the shop around 4p.m. but the parts weren't ready so I went home, jacked up the rear of the truck and pulled the rear drums. When I dropped them off at the machine shop the front drums and manifold were ready but I didn't pick them up yet. Hopefully everything will be ready in the morning.

The machine shop guy said that my exhaust manifold was in fact warped.

My truck all jacked up and balancing on cedar blocks and a railroad tie.


Does this look safe to you...









More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolinick/s ... 9067/show/

[dolinick]

We got the manifold and drums back from the machine shop today and I found a rebuilt master cylinder at Advance Auto Parts.




More photos of turned drums and rusty/dirty rear brakes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolinick/s ... 5103/show/

[guerra]

I always enjoy looking at your pic's. You even made the drum look good. And no the 67 dont look to safe. Be carefull

[dolinick]

Thank You.

[BRUTUS_T_HOG]

looks like they had to take a lot of meat off the drum. was it deeply grooved or badly warped?

even with so much meat taken off it still looks like it would be within spec.

[ta TACO]

You do take great pics. You make even truck parts look pretty sweet! Yeah, I have to agree thats a good deal on the trade.

[whiteblur]

nothing at all wrong with that pic, i like seeing more i6s

[dolinick]

I had a 68 swb (why didn't I keep that truck?) the po said the head had been replaced because someone had let the truck overheat. Anyway that truck ran so smooth. It sounded great. The truck was really clean just beat up a little bit. the bed floor was swiss cheese but the rest of the truck very rust free. It had a 240 inline 6 cylinder engine.

I can't wait to hear(not hear) this truck run with the new intake/exhaust manifold gasket(s). I miss the 360 of my old lwb f100 sometimes but still love the inline six.

[dolinick]

This afternoon while I went to get a new copy of the title for the Crown Victoria and pick up the kids from school my mechanic friend, his helper and grandson worked on my truck. He cleaned up the front bearings and repacked them and reinstalled the drums. They also installed the manifolds and master cylinder. The only thing left to do is connect the brake lines to the manifold. and replace the brake shoes, cylinder and spring/adjuster on the passenger rear wheel. The driver's side rear is already installed. I suppose we got to adjust the shoes and then bleed the brakes and that's about it. Also the fuel line including a pressure regulator and fuel filter needs to be reconnected to the carburetor. I stole the battery and put it in my Nova because the CB radio I had installed in the nova drained it's battery. I got the battery from the Nova charged today so I will be able to put my F100's battery back. I hope we can get the truck finished on Thursday.

I have to clean some of my junk out of the Crown Vic then I will be able to give him the car and have the title transferred over. BTW since I lost the title to the car it cost $5.45 to get a new one and only took a few minutes at the DMV.

[dolinick]

We finally got the truck finished. I get paranoid/anxious with someone else working on my truck even though I don't have the skills to do everything myself. I am getting slowly better and would consider working on things I didn't know anything about when I bought my first bump about 12 years ago.

I don't believe my mechanic bled the brakes properly. Maybe I'll get him to help me bleed and adjust the brakes when he comes back to pick up his car. Otherwise I'll get my wife or someone else to help.

Otherwise the truck is running great. The engine is really smooth and quiet now with the new intake/exhaust manifold gasket(s). It's got a lot of torque and I like the way the six cylinder engine sounds. I have a load of junk in the back that I need to take to the landfill.

We're gonna get the title transferred over for the Crown Victoria probably on monday.