whats up with the front brakes on this rod???

Are these drum brakes??? or is there a disc brake setup hidden behind those????

http://youtu.be/3X8q6_QmEdU

 

Looks like '40 backing plates with scoops added and Buick drums?

 

there's a set of discs hidden in the drums. they sell kits to do this..not cheap

 

to save you from having to try to find it in the video...this is what he's talking about

sure looks like a disk brake/fake backing plate setup to me

 

Those are the O'brain truckers hidden disk break set up. I've got the same kit on my truck.

 

These look like the disc brake / buick drum style covers that O'Brien Truckers sells.

I believe Dennis got the molds from someone in Australia or New Zealand.

I have a set on my RPU. They are similar to the So-Cal Speed Shop covers but are easier to install and bleed as the caliper is on the front with the bleeder valve on top.

The drums and backing plates are one unit so the drums don't rotate with the wheels however, but they are well built and good looking.

Mick

 

The same guy sells kits to cover disc brakes with fake drums and has manufactured the 12" drums with iron liners. Since there is an air inlet that did not exist for the Buick drums, I vote for disc brakes and fake drums. And the backing plate is aluminum, not steel, so it would need a bunch of mounting points for the spring perches and pivot.

 

awesome!!! I think thats the setup to get for my project!!!!

I will need some serious stopping power for the 392 HEMI on the 34 hiboy!!!

Im afraid just drums wont cut it! :s

 

Buick drum brakes stopped a car that weighed twice as much....

 

So-Cal speed shop started selling them over 10 years ago

 

Are they popular? I built molds for them about 15 years ago for another guy.

 

I have the earlier setup where the drums revolve with the wheel from the people that originally made the kit Rowdys Rodshop in NZ, works perfectly.

 

After they had stolen the idea from the original guy who designed them and manufactured them - but that's the story with a lot of the So Cal stuff - just another Speedway in my book - they're not proud - they'll steal anyone's ideas....

 

yes, having the drums go round and round would be nicer for sure....they also list that option.

i found their site...they are spendy for sure at near 2k for a setup if you want the full balanced drums!!!

Yes, I bet the riginal buick drum brakes would work perfect as well.....i just suppose that finding a good complete original set of those, plus rebuilding them and retrofitting them might be as spendy? or am I mistaken???

 

X2, and discs dont have an inherent advantage in braking power over drums, thier main advantage is in fade resistance. Some of this edge can be overcome by cooling the drums more efficiently. Thats why the fins are there. It will also help if you drill the backing plates, and add an air scoop to the leading edge of the backing plate. This isnt just a fashion statement, thats why if you look at pre-disc brake F-1 cars and racing bikes, they will have a large air scoop on the leading edge of the backing plate. Thats where this look got started. Probably helped alot when Doane Spencer copied it.

 

Domingo,

Go through your drums set up. Get everything working as designed. Drive it a couple of thousand miles, then decide if you need to jump on the "disc brake conversion ship"!

 

Yes, brake fade is the main advantage....but I can tell you whenever I swap drums or even stock calipers for multi piston calipers the difference is like night and day. Nobody cant argue that disc brakes are a superior design. I like my cars to go, but I like em even better when they stop on a dime!!!! waaaawawwwawaaaaaaaaaa

 

My 34 curretnly has the original brakes on it!!!!

 

From my experience, this is common in rodding, unfortunately. So-Cal is not the only culprit. Maybe just the best known. Sometimes what goes around comes around. I'll bet So-Cal has a sob story, too.

 

I personnally think that 40 Ford backing plates with Buick drums looks killer. No need to convert to disc brakes on a light car.

 

One thing that isnt mentioned very often is that discs are not self energising.

Which makes them a lot like the early Ford juice brakes that people dismiss as being inferior.

Like you said, the biggest advantage of discs is that they can dissipate heat a lot better.
( which makes them the best option in some situations )

But I wonder how much of that advantage is left, after you cover it all up with fake finned buick stuff.

 

There is in certain ares of the world where the inspectors will only pass your car with the added hemi engine if it has disk brakes.

We did toss that one around in another thread about another Australian car that has a hemi engine in it. The consensus there was that he should be able to match the brakes to the brakes that came on the vehicle that the engine originally came from. Meaning that if the engine doner car had 11x2-1/2 front brakes and 11x2-1/4 rear brakes that should suffice. The inspectors in OZ may not see it that way though.

 

fake stuff on your car = no bueno

 

that is a slick set up. is it 2000 for the whole kit and kabooltle? discs, callipers and drum backing plate setup or just for the drum set and backing plates?

if its for the whole set up 2000 really is not that bad.

no one can argue that disc brakes work 100 times better,are less maintenance and easier for the layman to set up and keep set up correctly then drum brakes


i had 4 wheel manual "hucks" style drum brakes on my 50 chevy when i bought it with all new parts (drums,shoes,cylinders,master,lines etc.) and that thing stopped like shit!!!

years ago i had a 53 chrysler with manual 4 wheel drum "bendix" style brakes. the size and weight of both cars were about the same.

the chrysler stopped amazing!!!!!! not a massive amount of pedal effort and non of that "oh shit oh shit oh shit" type stopping situations.


i prefer a disc/drum brake set up,for the reasons i already posted,i find with a disc/disc set up the pedal is a bit spongy and low as were with a disc/drum set up with the rear shoes adjusted correctly you get a nice firm pedal.

easy enough,with all my cars if it did not already have it i would make an access hole in the backing plate and when i had the car on the hoist just give the adjuster a few clics and your golden.


also years ago i had an o/t original vw beetle and what i did was drill 4 holes around the front of the drum between the rim spokes so they were exposed and them punched lovers into the backing plate,not only did this help with cooling the brakes but also pulled all the brake dust out and kept everything very clean.


also in design drum brake are far better in stopping a car as there is much more surface area and gripping power with the self energizing aspect then with disc brakes,the leading advantage with disc is the almost no need for maintenance and adjustment and the superior cooling effect soo less or no brake fade is emergency or repeated stopping.

 

That's what bothers me most about these brakes. If you really think you need disk brakes, then just put disk brakes on it. If you want to spend a lot of money to make neat looking finned brakes that work well, then go ahead and spend the time and money to make put good drum brakes on it that work well and look good.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that some guys think it's all about appearances.

 

Never had any fade with mine.

 

Me neither.

( and I'm running drums... )

 

Hope this isn't gonna become another 'generator vs altnernator' thread

 

We made a set for a three window a while back like the way they turnned out blending in with the backing plates.