Newbie...another brake question.

[nicklee72]

New to these trucks and I am very glad I found this great site.....Have a couple of Questions...

I just bought a 72 gmc 1/2.... but from what I've read it should have factory disc brakes upfront...well mine does not, so Im guessing the frame is not original (don't believe anyone would covert to drums)....

My first question is

#1 would rebuilding drum setup all the way around be suitable for DD use (rain,traffic, hard stopping)?? I dont really have the money for a disc swap NOW but if the drum/drum setup isn't ok for DD then I might as well save the money and not rebuild them.....

[Tom Vogel]

If you have the power assist, the drums should be fine. My daughter drove hers all throuhh high school that way. And... when I was a kid, we drove our 69 for 100,000 mi. on drums and had no problems.

[68gmsee]

Before the early 70's almost all vehicles had drum brakes. They should be okay but if you rebuild them be sure and get quality brakes shoes. Some of the shoes out there are cr@p.

Also have the drums turned and expect to spend some money on the rubber hoses in the front and the rear axle. Those seem to always get forgotten but after many years, swell up on the inside and cause all sorts of brake problems.

One more thing. Drum brakes tend to be somewhat quirky when wet, so be careful after a rainstorm or heavy fog in the mornings. I usually slowly depress the brakes and ride them for a while until they dry off.

[nicklee72]

Thanks fellas, I feel alot better now.... From what I was reading sounding like drum/drum was not good enough fro dd use.....Thanks for the replys

[Shyguy]

There is nothing wrong with a drum brake setup if you rebuild it. My '67 stops just fine.

One of my grandsons has a '69 he helped his dad restore and it has drum brakes and has no problem stopping it.

Some people put a brake booster on since it makes the truck stop more like a newer vehicle.

When you rebuild the drum system don't forget to replace the rubber hoses if they look bad. When they get old they have a tendency to collapse inside and cause problems.

Danny