drum brake question

[Jim B]

Experience always trumps opinions and theory....listen to the guys who have done it.....

[ss3011]

I also went through the parts books and was able to pick a wheel cylinder with a larger piston diameter. This will increase the force on the shoes.

[Run to Rund]

I had John Andreotti at Ott's Friction Supply build me shoes with premium Abex linings. They hold well, and all shoes look pretty much the same, iirc. They aren't prone to fading and yet grip well cold or hot.

[Eman]

Shouldn't be a problem. Check to be sure the wheel cylinder pins are engaged properly into the shoe. Make sure the shoes are riding on the pads on the backing plate and not caught on them, if grooved file smooth or replace backing plate. The actual metal shoe is usually the same primary to secondary, they just put the longer lining on the rear one. Remove the shoes and place in the drum to be sure you have the correct shoes and they aren't bent/warped. that's how you check to see if they need arcing back in the day when you arced shoes after you machined the drum.
A crossover to a larger wheel cyl is another trick for more holding power.

[fordteacherguy]

I also chamfer the leading edge of the secondary shoe (in the primary position) with a hand file (don't breathe the stuff) so there is a clean release of the new longer shoe. A few strokes will do it....put a shallow bevel transitioning the edge to the shoe.

[Ron Gusack]

Thanks for all the help and tips. I got them on, but had to use one of my old secondary shoes to allow me to get the drum on. The lining was about .050 thinner and the drum went on easy.

The lead edge of the shoe in the primary position would be the edge nearest the top, right?

I put secondaries on the fronts also. The pedal has so little toe play that I feel like I'll have to drive around the pits to get used to it. Is there a spec for free travel on the brake pedal?

[Ron Gusack]

It's like a different car. Held 3200 easily. If I deep stage and launch in the
3-3200 range my lights are respectable. Thanks for all the helpful tips.

[bigfoot584]

Originally Posted by Ron Gusack

Thanks for all the help and tips. I got them on, but had to use one of my old secondary shoes to allow me to get the drum on. The lining was about .050 thinner and the drum went on easy.

The lead edge of the shoe in the primary position would be the edge nearest the top, right?

I put secondaries on the fronts also. The pedal has so little toe play that I feel like I'll have to drive around the pits to get used to it. Is there a spec for free travel on the brake pedal?

The leading edge of the primary shoe is top of shoe towards front of the car, you want to be sure master is fully returned, then you should have approx. 1/4" free play,
Ron, what master are you using now do you know what piston size is ?