Buick brake drum HOWTO - Follow up

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Mart - sorry I didn't post a reply earlier. The thread is locked in the Tech-thingy now, so here's my best at answering your questions.

:: Why did you need the delrin bush? Was it because the chuck can only get a grip on a relatively small area on the front face? ::

The only true surface on the chuck side of the hub was the inside - outside was rough forging rems. Not much for the chuck to grab on. I used the delrinto keep everything spinning true, and to support the work.

:: Why did you rederill the 5 on 5.5" pattern? The existing pattern is 5 on 5.5". I'm guessing it's so you can use the cap screws, which can take up the extra thickness of the Buick Drum. ::

I believe the existing pattern on the drum is 5 on 5, no?

:: I like the two step reduction of the diameter first to fit your gauge, then the id of the drum. was it a matter of luck that the guage id was in between the two diameters? ::

I suppose it was. The guage was liberated some time ago from a friend http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif The guage isn't all that special, but that drill bushing is tough to come by...

:: Thanks again for the informative post, glad to see more people documenting their work. (tidier than my efforts I must add). ::

I've learned a lot from you all, just wanted to give a bit back. I had Frog leaning over me telling me what I just screwed up, so I had lots of help. First hub I started cutting on ended up .020 smaller than the wheel pattern guage. Luckily, I hadn't cut all the way to the shoulder of the hub....

:: PS. You might want to consider reposting the pics of your buddy's cart a bit smaller to stop the dreaded scrollbar problem. ::

Looks like Ryan will have to solve that problem now http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

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NealinCA - here's your follow up.

:: I have some questions on the wheel pattern. Is that something available commercially or is that a homemade piece? ::

I see plastic ones at the swap meet all the time. Just borrowed that one from Frog. Seems easy enough to replicate, but the real issue is your second question....

:: Do you just use a transfer punch to mark out your holes? ::

Check out that drill bushing that's in the 4.5" hole on the drill press. That bushing is harder than a woodpeckers face, and accepts that .250" drill bit that's about to go in it. I don't know where to get the bushing.....

:: I am guessing the same method could be used to redrill rear axles flanges. ::

Yeah, I suppose so, but then I'm just a blacksmith pretending to play hotrod.

If y'all have any more questions, fire away. If not, we'll put this one to bed and move on. I have a bit of time on my hands, so if anyone needs a bit of this machine work done on their Buick drums, let me know.

[Mart]

Thanks for the follow up:
thanks for the pm too, I probably would have missed the post without it.
The 48 hubs are 5 on 5.5".
I might try and make a similar gauge, looks pretty useful.
Mart.

[NealinCA]

Thanks for the response, and like Mart said, the PM was great, especially at the rate posts roll off the front page.

I didn't see the drill bushing. That makes perfect sense now. I wonder if you could get by using a plastic wheel pattern with a drill bushing? Maybe you could at least use it to make an aluminum pattern...

Hardened drill bushings are pretty common machine shop items, you can get them here (http://www.mcmaster.com/param/asp/psearch.asp?FAM=DrillBushings&desc=Drill+Guides) for example.

Thanks again, and I am glad your first post made it to the Tech'O'Matic, but too bad these responses didn't.

Neal

[atch]

fwiw;

i pm'd ryan last night assking him to add these responses to the original post which now resides in tech o'matic. don't know if he can/will, but it's been asked.

[Dan]

Some woodworker supply stores sell the drill bushings, don't know if they are the same ones you are using but they sound like it.

[Trinary]

:: The 48 hubs are 5 on 5.5". ::

Yep, the hubs are 5x5.5. But they're already .625" - needed something to bite. I suppose you could add a backing ring like Wilson Welding too for strength, but I'm only stopping a '28 Tudor with a flatty, not a 4500 lb Buick http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif As a friend of mine reminds me, "Stop trying to build a f*$%ing submarine/space shuttle." Submarine for over-engineered (heavy), space shuttle for too precise.

[modernbeat]

[ QUOTE ]
Stop trying to build a f*$%ing submarine/space shuttle

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, one of my friends told me to stop building mine like a tank. Then he went for a drive with me and shut up about it.