Thought I would share my version of adapting buick drums to wide 5 hubs. Ive read and seen various ways of doing this, then decided to jyst do what seemed most logical. We just faced off buick drums until the raised area was the same as ford drum. Then turned raised ring on drum to diameter of ford and drilled bokt pattern after biring out center to clear bell on stock ford hub. We milled a flat spot on back of drum for stud to sit flat, also matching thickness of stock drum. This allows use of stock studs. Only issue we say was tye chance if the unknurled stock studs spinning, so we drilled and tapped a #8 cap screw that hits flat on stud. Any feedback,opinions, or advice is much appreciated.
Looks good! First time I have seen that particular swap. I have always kinda liked 'wide fives'. Why not just use a knurled lug stud? There is a large assortment available from Dorman products. Various combinations of length, stud thread, knurl length and diameter. If interested, check their catalog.
I think the back of the drum will interfere with the backing plate. It would be nice to make a layout of how all the parts fit together. You may have to cut a lot off the drum so it will clear the backing plate and the steering arm.
Im using skeleton backing plates, but I will let you know what I run in to when i get there, I assumed I would only have to machine back of drum just as if they were mounted on a standard 5 lug hub which people do all the time, but I could be wrong.
My Dad used to do the very same thing, back in the late 1960's-early'70's for the local circle track crowd, every Saturday morning a dozen or more every weekend. He worked in a factory as a machinist, but had purchased an old WWII era lathe(8' bed, swing 15" over the cross slide and 18" over the bed ways) when the company was going to auction it off and had it in the home garage. Had also a vintage flat belt driven drill press with rotary table and a drill fixture to align the bolt pattern to be concentric to the center hole. Made his "mad money" that way. Say's today it almost makes him cry to think about how many of those Buick drums circle jerkers ruined back in them days. Bore 'em out, run 'em a few weekends and burn 'em up or crack/break them....,and do it all over again after another trip to the junkyard. sSays he probably cut 800-1000 of them.....and this seemed to be going on all around the country at the time. No wonder that you can hardly find used ones anymore. I seem to remember they left the studs in the hub, just slid the cut Buick drum on over the hub, just like most regular brake drums are installed....but it was a long time ago, and I was just a wee lad so I could be wrong
Ok, finally got this brake set up ironed out. Im using the ford wide 5 hubs, buick drums , and I modified a set of skeleton backing plates I had cnc plasmed out. I do have 8 more sets of un modified skeleton backing plates ip for grabs. They do not have the adjustable pin, but come with a centered welded pin. Ill post pics of thise at a later date.
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