Brake job.

[Barry Wolk]

Larger diameter drums as recommended by the factory is a liability: not enough material to absorb the heat and risk of deformation. By careful by applying the brakes!

Roger, I have 1/8" stamped sheet metal brake drums on my 1933 Continental. The Ruxton had the same drum, only much larger. I think they were both Budd chassis. When I had new brake drums turned on a large lathe I had the braking surface made 1/4" thick and the rest 1/8" to match the original. I, too, had heat dissipation in mind. Being a highly skilled machinist you'll appreciate that the 18" x 3" steel slugs weighed about 300 pounds. The finished drums weighed 19 pounds. I was there on day while he was turning them on a 12" swing lathe. It was ringing like a bell while he was cutting. The noise was thunderous. He hauled away barrels and barrels of scrap.

Roger, being in the position you were in at GM did Europe slide into safety standards easier than we did? Technically, no one here that's licensed would risk using oversized drums, under penalty of law and extreme exposure, but I suppose we're allowed to do that to our own car. I'm no mathematician, but wouldn't thicker linings have to be trimmed away more to fit a worn drum. At what point is the shortened shoe life for the thicker lining no longer an advantage? Have I made my question clear?

[Graham Rollo]

have had no problem with another car i did 20 years ago. I have also had new brake drums casted but must foundries have now closed here in New Zealand. We are just over on the factory measurements.

[Barry Wolk]

Project creep.

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On a Mark II the ball joints appear to be the same as Lincoln. The A-arms are different and the Mark II has rubber isolated uppers, but are the steering and suspension components the same?

Also, Is there a benefit to replacing front springs when doing a suspension rebuild?

[Milsteads Garage]

I am not sure on interchangeability but concerning your front coils, this is about the only advice I could give. Concerning coil springs, I only replace them in the event there is a problem with improper ride height or somebody twisted some “coil spring helpers” in place. In the event you need new coil springs, I would be extremely reluctant to buy aftermarket ones unless somebody on here knows of a good place to get them from. Other than this, check with a leaf/coil spring shop if you can find one in town.

[Roger Zimmermann]

Roger, being in the position you were in at GM did Europe slide into safety standards easier than we did? Technically, no one here that's licensed would risk using oversized drums, under penalty of law and extreme exposure, but I suppose we're allowed to do that to our own car. I'm no mathematician, but wouldn't thicker linings have to be trimmed away more to fit a worn drum. At what point is the shortened shoe life for the thicker lining no longer an advantage? Have I made my question clear?

In Switzerland we have a liability law since maybe 30 years. Therefore, things were not so drastic (or stupid?) than in the US. People here can still try to wash their cat in a wash machine without being able to sue the manufacturer.
Frankly, I don't understand the point from your second question...

[Barry Wolk]

I thought that might be confusing.

Take two similar size coins to simulate stock brake shoes in an ever increasing size drum. Would the top of the arc of each shoe not wear off, or grind off, before the edges? Wouldn't that leave you with a shortened life span by the friction material in the center wearing out before the edges? Wouldn't using thicker sacrificial shoe lining make the life shorter as the drum wears beyond the manufacturers specifications?

[Roger Zimmermann]

The main issue with too thin drum is that they can break, at least this is the theory. The question about the wear of the lining at the moment the drum is breaking is totally academical.

[Barry Wolk]

The rear brakes on both sides look completely unused. I'm betting stuck cylinders.

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Milstead, whats the best way to get the bushings out of the GM a-arms? o you press the shaft out, forcing the pushing out, or do you burn the rubber and center ferrule out and cut the bushing?

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[Milsteads Garage]

The rear brakes on both sides look completely unused. I'm betting stuck cylinders.

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Milstead, whats the best way to get the bushings out of the GM a-arms? o you press the shaft out, forcing the pushing out, or do you burn the rubber and center ferrule out and cut the bushing?

IMG_2298.jpg

An air hammer is my best friend concerning bushings. What I do is hammer on the flanges to push the bushing out of the A arm. Then to install, a bushing press or a BFH and an old socket or a piece of pipe and hammer into place.