Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

okay, so i went to put the new drums on my '72 rear yesterday, and the drums don't have the "knock-out" holes that allow you to adjust the brake shoes...my drums came from Carquest....upon researching other parts stores, they seem to have the same issue...since i'm on a time schedule, my dad is just going to have the holes machined...but i was curious whether anyone else has dealt with this problem, & what did you do? do any of the aftermarket restoration suppliers (ECE, Classic Parts, etc.) carry a drum that is correctly machined?

Re: Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

i think i adjusted mine out before putting the drums on. then throw it
in reverse, hit the brakes, and the adjusting star is supposed to take care of the rest for you.

Re: Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

Magic word suppose to never seen it actually work worth a darn though.

Re: Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

You're gonna wish that window was there next time you can't get your drums off.:dohh:

Re: Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

How about putting the adjusting hole in the backing plate, like it used to be in the good old days?

Ray

Re: Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

I had the same problem. I noticed that the drums had knocks in them. I had to knock them out. It was hard to do. Did you try NAPA?

Re: Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

seems two pokes from a drill press, one at each end of the knockout - and then a little filing might do in a pinch. But I agree, chaps my butt that they seem to leave out this little "oh by the way" on the replacement drums. But agree, best to knock em out somehow before installation.

Re: Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

the new drums suck in more ways than that.
They wear quick
they warp quick
no knockouts
no spring grove
I always recomend hittin the junkyards or the parts board and locating thick originals. There's a LOT more out there than you'd think.

Re: Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

yeah but who is gonna buy a used set off here that are not local due to shipping.

Re: Aftermarket rear brake drums
 

NAPA was closed at the time...not sure what they have...the drums i have are identical to the ones from O'reilly's...and AutoZone had a set that didn't have the knock-out either...there is not even an outlined pattern to show where the hole would be....so, i will just have to machine the hole