Drums all around

[threewood]

I hope the OP got his brakes done by now, its been over a year

4 wheel drum brakes here, no problem stopping plus we rarely get rain in the southwest. I agree with rebuilding enless they are too badly pitted, as one of mine was. Not impressed with the Dorman cylinders, long and skinny bleed valve looks fragile and the one I used needed to be super tight or else it dribbled fluid. Plus the rubber boots are not as good as original (if they are still good.)

Another thing I learned was to consult the service manual because whoever did the brakes last may not have done them correctly. On mine both sides were sprung wrong, had 2 yellow long springs on primary and secondary shoes. One is suppose to be fatter and shorter. Live and learn.

Always replace the rubber hoses as well because they will swell with age and act like a one way valve holding the cylinders out against the shoes. Cheap protection and will save headaches later.

 

[Cranky]

They can do more than one hard stop but not as many as dics; you're right, drums retain heat a lot more. And for all you guys.....seriously....if you have have ever driven drum brakes through deep water and gotten any water inside the drum you will find out how bad they can be. Having said all that, I will keep the orignal drums on my 62 Dart; I just know to be careful around deep water. But for safety, it will get a dual MC ASAP.

A little trick to going through deep water is to ride your brakes before going in. Disc brakes will also not work very well when wet but riding them before going into the water helps with them too. Don't know where most of y'all live but living close to the 'Bayou City' (Houston) means run off is slow. You would think being near Galveston Bay would help but it doesn't so a downpour of just 1" of rain in 30 minutes makes a lot of roads turn into lakes. Even my Dakota yard cart has 10.50-31's on the back to help keep the tail pipe higher and the diesel has 33's all the way around.

 

[Dennis H]

http://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A86....kes.com//RK=0/RS=5ZVPIZgj9bWhGu6.BwJXbfPI.3I-
www.musclecarbrakes.com Brakes in a box. Work great for me for ten years.

 

[TekHousE]

Disc brakes are NOT better than drums. period!

The only thing they are good at is heat dissipation on repeated hard braking events. But for braking force and efficiency drum brakes rule! This is a matter of clamping force on discs being so high for braking to occur, whereas drum brakes use FAR less pressure to do the same job. (now I am talking POWER ASSISTED drums) Since manual drums live or die by how strong YOUR leg is.

This is why there are NO GOOD MANUAL discs. The sheer effort that would be necessary to manually apply enough force to the pedal in order to stop a muscle car would be impossible for a human to create. (note that cars like some earlier Mustangs that used manual disc FRONT brakes had drums at the rear)

Discs solved the heat problem, that is all. But in all other aspects they are inferior to correctly setup power assisted drums.