I am thinking that if it doesn't stop as well with disc brakes something is not right with the disc brakes. Could be wrong but never seen disc brakes that didn't stop a heck of a lot better than any drum brakes.

Oh...and 5.1 brake fluids.


Hyvinkää, FI

Properly "tuning" drum brakes is almost a lost art. In the old days they would arc the shoes in. What that does is make sure you have full lining contact. If you have had the drums turned, they are now a larger circle but the new shoes still the original size circle. If the drums have been cut toward the limit, new shoes will only contact a small patch, way less than half. The quick fix is to run new drums. If having them turned, remember, they both need to be the same size.
 Lining material is another area. The more expensive metallic ones last longer and are more fade resistant but they are also harder on drums. I always like the cheapy ones best. They are softer and brake better and are usually bonded so you don't wear rivet groves into the drums. Trade off is they don't last as long.

The last time I did drums I could not find anyone to arc the shoes. I put them in a vice and used an old body file. Took about an hour to just the fronts to get about 90% contact. Always remember to chamfer the leading edge to keep them quiet. Good luck.

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

 I can't even find anyone in my town that actually measures the drums when they turn them, or are even aware of the limits.

I once had the idea to put adhesive sandpaper on the inside braking surface of the drums, and gradually tighten the starwheels as you rotated the drums back & forth.  Bought a roll of sandpaper, but never got around to using it, since as the linings wore in, braking improved.  Used to be, you could buy shoes with extra-thick lining, to compensate for drums turned near the limit.  I used to watch ebay for such NOS units, but none ever turned up.  I see the T-Bird parts suppliers sell repro drums, but I was wary of how asian iron would work out.  Though NOS front drums are pricy & rare, they were usually factory-staked to NOS hubs.  I always wondered how you could duplicate the centering accuracy of repro drums mounted on OEM hubs?  I couldn't even figure out how to properly un-stake my originals.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA