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05-29-2007, 12:38 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: Milton, FL
Posts: 64
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How many still drive with drum/drum?
I was getting ready to do the conversion to disc/drum when I started pricing everything out. Wow!! I wasn't ready to pay that much for the conversion. I have already purchased the crossmember and rearend from a 72, but the rest is still going to cost a bundle. I don't have power brakes now and was planning on installing them with the conversion. That is were most of the cost comes from.
My question is this: How many of you guys still drive with your drum/drum setup? I know it would be cheaper to just upgrade the master cylinder and booster for power brakes. Is this a wise choice? Is it a safety issue? Will I really miss the disc/drum setup once I install the power booster? Thanks, Keith |
05-29-2007, 12:43 PM | #2 |
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Simpsonville, SC
Posts: 255
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
i still have drums. mine is NOT a daily driver. actually isn't really a driver at all at the moment. but i have heard plenty people who drive regularly and will even tow with drums. rumor has it that the best thing to do for drums is add the power booster (one from a 3/4 ton has dual diaphragm). the biggest problem with drums is their inability to cool well and develop brake fade in constant stop and go or with performance driving.
i plan on keeping my drums for a while.
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1969 GMC 3/4 ton, 307, 4-speed NP435GL, DANA 60, 4.10, HD rear leafs, manual everything, leaking oil and water. Now rocking 383, NV4500, power steering, power brakes. Finally undergoing restoration. |
05-29-2007, 12:56 PM | #3 |
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Location: Studio City, Calif.
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I'm quessing that you have a 1/2 ton right? I have a 3/4 with vac-assist drums and I can say that they are MORE than adequate for the very heavy loads I haul around. The only reason I would EVER consider Disc conversion would be if I wanted to pull a large trailer through the mountains on a regular basis. Now,I don't know about the 1/2 ton drums but I suspect that conversion to pb would be good enough and you could still go to disc later if you wanted.
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'69 GMC C2500 Custom Camper, 8 1/2' bed, New GM 350, NP 435 Close Ratio 4spd. Trans., 3.73 Dana-60 open.Camper and Trailer wiring, PS, PB, AC, tach , three gas tanks, stereo speakers, 2nd owner, Work-Truck supreme. |
05-29-2007, 01:12 PM | #4 |
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: Colorado
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I have the power drum/drum setup on my daily driver, and it works fine for just going back and forth to work. I've been driving it like that for 3 years now. BUT, I've towed a 16ft. car hauler before, once with a 99 S-10 loaded on it, and once with an 85 thunderbird on it, and both times stopping SUCKED!!!! The front drums were fresh, and the rears were in good shape, and I still would have to almost double foot mash the brake pedal. I hear ya about how much it is to do the conversion. I've been researching all of the different options myself for a few months now. What I've found out is, that if you want to keep the stock height, then piecing parts together yourself is the cheapest way to go. (i.e.-scavaging spindles and a-arms from a newer donor truck and then buying the rest of the parts from the part store.) But if you want to do drop spindles, it's actually just as cheap to buy a pre-assembled kit from GMC Pauls, and just a little more from ECE. It's all in what you want. I hope this helps!
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05-29-2007, 01:17 PM | #5 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
My '70 3/4t was poweer drum/drum and it would stop on a dime with a load sand or mulch in it. I did the conversion more for the ease and reliability of disc brakes for my son when he gets the truck. I also have a '65 Pontiac LeMans with a modified engine that still has the manual drum/drum set-up on it. That stops just fine also even when you have your foot in it. If you know what you have then you know how it acts and how to deal with it.
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05-29-2007, 01:18 PM | #6 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I still have drums, they dont bother me at all... even though four wheel disc are on my list of things to do
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05-29-2007, 01:24 PM | #7 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
Drum/drum for now, I already swapped the rear over to 5 lug (just swapped axles) and buying up the parts to do the front end rebuild, along with the front disc. I eventually want 4 wheel disc because I haul alot of firewood on a 16' trailer in the winter and summer and need any extra braking I can get. Replacing the rear drums with brand new ones help 110% over the 6 lug drums that I thought were in good shape.
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05 2500HD 6.0 excab 69 LWB-Gone but not forgotten! 68 Dodge Charger 383/727 69 Dodge Charger-440/4spd |
05-29-2007, 01:26 PM | #8 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
Drum/Drum/No power here. Not a daily driver, but it does get driven some. No plans to upgrade.
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05-29-2007, 01:29 PM | #9 |
Love that '69
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I had manual drum/drum brakes on my '69. Been driving it for 3 summers now. Just recently I converted to power drum/drum.....WOW!!! Big difference. Costed me about $300 CAD for the booster & master cylinder. Plus, I bought new brakes shoes for all 4 tires. Don't get me wrong nothing beats the stopping power or look of discs, but drums work just fine too.
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I AM CANADIAN & PROUD OF IT!!! 1969 Chevy C10, SBC V8, TH-350 Transmission, Metallic Blue, B&M Megashifter, GT Grant Steering Wheel, 2.25" True Dual Magnaflow Exhaust System w/ SS Magnaflow Embossed Tips, 700W Rockford Fosgate Stereo System, Lowered 1" Front & Stock Rear, 4.56 Rear with Positraction, 15" Chrome Rims w/ Chevy Center Caps & Michelin Tires, 4.5" K&N Air Filter, Edelbrock 'Elite' Engine Accessories, Chrome Powdercoated Engine Parts 2001 Cavalier Z24, 2.4L DOHC, Silver, Spoiler, AEM Intake, 2.25" Magnaflow Exhaust System, Clear Euro Tails, Tinted Windows, 400W Clarion Stereo System |
05-29-2007, 01:38 PM | #10 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
Keep them manual, and swap out the front to disc. That's what I did anyway.
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05-29-2007, 01:40 PM | #11 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
mine has drum/drum and its my one and only everyday driver. brakes seem to work fine i have no problems with drums
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________________________ 68 chev K20 being converted to a cummins powered 70 GMC 4x4 09 jacked up mega cab (daily driver) 53 chev (someday project) 70 GMC (parts) 71 GMC (parts) |
05-29-2007, 01:41 PM | #12 |
Lemme show you something!!
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I have the Power drum/drum setup on my '67 daily driver....no complaints here! Then again I'm not hauling a monster RV or quads, or firewood either. The only upgrade I'm planning is to go to hydro-boost so I can run a phat, lumpy cam in my 383 and still have good brakes.
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'67 CST-10 LWB ("Crusty") SOLD '67 GMC SWB ("Murdock") 2000 K1500 Suburban ("Betty") '95 BMW 325i ("Joy") |
05-29-2007, 01:50 PM | #13 |
Dave's not here, man
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I've run my manual drum/drum setup for over 3 years now w/ no problems. I put a booster on that setup and it was like night and day, when it worked anyway.(leaking diaphragm) I'm in the process of swapping to discs since I do a lot of interstate driving to and from school.
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05-29-2007, 02:02 PM | #14 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I'm running power drum/drum and had 3 others with drum/drum, no power. Never had any problems. However, changing to front discs is next on my list. I plan to shell out the money for a kit to avoid (hopefully) headaches. Part of the reason I'm changing is to go lower, but I also like the idea of better braking without so much pulling to one side, fade, etc.
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05-29-2007, 02:39 PM | #15 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I am manuel drum/drum. Pulling a loaded car trailer isnt fun at all. Ive got almost everything to do the disk swap. I cant wait to get it done.
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'67 C20 Lwb 350 4-Speed '01 Chrysler Concorde LXI (wifes ride) '91 Gmc Suburban 3/4 2wd 454 Tbi '51 Jeep Cj3a "Willys" 350 V8 |
05-29-2007, 03:02 PM | #16 |
its all about the +6 inches
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
manual drum/drum one ton fleet here. I don't mind it so much, and if I was able to get drums or shoes, I'd probably keep them, but since I can't, disks are on the list.
The disks on a 1/2 ton are too small INO... yet, I never had issues on my last truck.... drum/drum manual/ 69 1/2 ton GMC. |
05-29-2007, 03:50 PM | #17 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
My truck is drum / drum no power its o.k. for me to drive but I don't let my
teenage daughter drive it ! got some real good idea's from the user's on this board try searching "Drum brake FUN " for some good idea's lots of post's on this topic I can't help but wonder if there's a way to upgrade the front drum's like you can in the rear ( as in "Drum brake FUN") by modifying front backing plates to accept the wider shoes and drums ? as alot have already mentioned brake needs are relative to brake usage. I recall how satisfied I was with my 67 El camino BB 427 with drum /drum till I raced it at only 95 mph in the 1/4 miles I had a lil butt pucker going on wondering when it would slow down
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05-29-2007, 03:53 PM | #18 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
4 drums 4 life.
I use the stick to slow down. Gear on the road
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1968 Chevy C10 307 3ott fleetside 1967 Chevy C/10 V8, 3spd, fleetside lwb.Sold 1967 Chev C/10 step, 383, M21. SOLD |
05-29-2007, 04:05 PM | #19 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I would buy a used booster and bracket from a member and then turn it in for a new one... Might spend $150 for reliable power upgrade, then go disc later. I have a 4WD so disc upgrade was easy with a new front axle...
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The Garage: 1968 K-10 SWB - "Project Money Pit" 1996 Z-71 - "huntin rig" 1969 C-10 LWB (SOLD) "Project flip that truck or else" 1993 Passport, F@rd 1-ton (SOLD)"Project Cousin Eddie" My Garage Build "The 1,000 footer" |
05-29-2007, 04:12 PM | #20 |
Real Projects never die
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
My old chevelle has 4 wheel drum with manual brakes. I had to install a new mastercylinder, and i still have to put new pads on. If you think 4 drums are bad, try 4 drums with a bad mastercylinder. I had to pump the brakes to get it to stop at all
It goes 0-120 like a bullet, its 120-0 thats the hard part
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Ill put it this way, ive got a few lawn ornaments My name tag says Ryan KansasTwister On other forums
Last edited by Walts_restoration; 05-29-2007 at 04:13 PM. |
05-29-2007, 04:19 PM | #21 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I'm on a drum/drum setup...three on the tree and no power steering or A/C
and it IS a daily driver.. to and from work , 5 days a week (of course it is only 8 miles each way)
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05-29-2007, 04:22 PM | #22 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
Manual drum/drum for now. I do intend to upgrade to disc/drum when $$$ allows.
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George Morgan Hernando, MS '69 C-10 swb fleetside '72 GMC swb Stepside |
05-29-2007, 04:23 PM | #23 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
I love these post's about the old vehicle's that everyone love's but a lot of myth's got started ,
people drove with drum brake's for 70 year's and didn't worry about it cause that's all you had , point's did not bother anyone , somewhere along the line people must have evolved , most people don't have the ability to roll down a window now either ,,, just haveing fun with this ,,,, to answer the post for me I drive with drum drum , drum drum , 67 camaro RS 4 wheel drum's 67 C10 4 wheel drum's and I would not change them if you paid me and would not be bothered to drive across country in either vehicle
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1967 C10 Shortbed Fleetside Small back glass 6 cyl 3spd on the tree 3.08 gears underdash AC |
05-29-2007, 04:36 PM | #24 |
Always Fixing Things
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
Drum de drum drums, nothing is power on my old ride. (Even the choke is manual) New front drums were dirt cheap from Kragen, could only find a couple places that had the rear drums for my 1/2 ton with leaf springs and they were $170 a piece so I didn't replace them. I think the truck would stop better if I bought the more expensive set for the front , but all four lock up on dry pavement and they stop dead straight.
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Just an Average Joe ‘68 GMC 307 3spd – My dad's original truck 310,000 miles |
05-29-2007, 05:42 PM | #25 |
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Re: How many still drive with drum/drum?
Drum,Drum 4x4 drive it every day.
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