Aluminum brake drums

Discussion in 'The whoa and the sway.' started by BQUICK, Aug 24, 2020.

  1. BQUICK

    BQUICK Gold Level Contributor

    Anyone make aluminum brake drums for FORD 9in?
     
  2. mobileparts123

    mobileparts123 Well-Known Member

    NEVER WAS any outfit back in the day...
    And when I reproduced the 1957 - 1959 Ford Rear 11" x 2"
    Brake Drum for the five models that used it -- Convertible, Retractable, Station Wagon, Sedan Delivery, and Ranchero,
    I went by factory specs., Which is Steel....

    It could have been done by some new fangled company, but if I were a betting man (and I have been known to place an occasional wager !!!), I would bet against it !!!!

    As popular as the Ford 9" Rear has become in and during the last 30 years, making that brake drum in Aluminum could be an interesting business idea for someone (but
    Definitely NOT for me.....)
    Yours, Craig...
     
  3. BQUICK

    BQUICK Gold Level Contributor

    I have steel 11 x 2 1/2 un-finned now and was going to to with finned but they of course are even heavier.
     
  4. BQUICK

    BQUICK Gold Level Contributor

    Alum drums picked up my GS like .04 sec...these are bigger prob pick up .06 sec.
     
  5. BQUICK

    BQUICK Gold Level Contributor

    BTW, I was noticing my car not rolling well thru the pits....turns out rear drums were way out of round. Got em turned and smoooth turning of wheel.
    Took me a while to find a place that turns drums....
     
    Max Damage likes this.
  6. BrianTrick

    BrianTrick Brian Trick

    You can get new aluminum drums for GM. Someone should have something for Ford.
     
  7. avmechanic

    avmechanic Well-Known Member

    I am a little bored today and reading into some older threads. I will bring this nearly year old one back from the dead. I can't find any good pictures of them but Wilson Welding and machine makes cool finned aluminum backing plates to mount Buick 12" drums on old Ford axles for hot rods. A number of years ago they added backing plates to mount the finned 12" Buick brakes to the 9" rear. My father in law has a set. Wilson has a terrible website and is an old school guy you just need to call. Apparently he is a cool old dude to talk to though.http://www.wilsonweldingandmachine.com/ I have a complete set of 12" Buick aluminum drums with backing plates in my horde of stuff. I was planning on modding those original Buick backing plates to fit a 9" I have to go into my 55' Chevy gasser. There is some info on doing such work here on the HAMB forum. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/buick-finned-drums-on-a-9-inch-ford.320874/
    Greg
     
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  8. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    Wow I was confused to the finned backing plate was till I just saw them..
    Very cool:D
     
  9. avmechanic

    avmechanic Well-Known Member

    Yea. They are really nice cast aluminum backing plates with fins that match those 12" Buick drums. They look good with both the 90 fin and 45 fin drums. My father in law does not have his 32' Ford together yet with them but I am sure they will stop that little car really really well.
    Greg
     
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  10. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    I can imagine just how well the car will stop as even with just the fronts being AL on the big boats stop great..
    What is the 90 fin drums? The 12" ones?
     
  11. avmechanic

    avmechanic Well-Known Member

    The First is the 90 Fin 12" Buick drum. They came on the later big Buicks. I think they switched over 67' or 68'. Before that they had 45 Fin 12" drums. They both work and fit the same. They just look different. Generally the hot rod guys like the 45 Fin look better than the 90 Fin so they are worth more. I think they both look good and like a bargain so I am happy to use the 90 Fin. I would think they went to 90 fin for a reason so I am guessing they cool better. The 45 fin ones are with Wilson Welding backing plate and brake kit. They make a very similar one to that that fits big bearing Ford 9". They are a really nice product.
    Greg
    12" 90 Fin drum.jpg Wilson Welding with 12" Buick.JPG
     
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  12. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    Nice:) Thanks for the pics.
    They both look good to me also but would have to see the 90 fin drums with the finned backing plates but i'm sure it would be a toss up.

    Is the bottom pic the unfinished front of your Father inlaws 32?
     
  13. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    NAPA had an old school machine shop in Merrifield (near me) that would turn drums for cheap, just like the old days. Corporate decided they liked to sell new stuff more so they just closed them down. Sad.
     
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  14. avmechanic

    avmechanic Well-Known Member

    I did not get by his place to take pictures of the Wilson stuff so I just looked for pictures on the internet. He does not have too much built yet on his car. I don't think he has the front axle assembled yet.
    Greg
     
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  15. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    Yup it was maby 5 years ago I found out they don't turn drums or rotors. I'm thinking?? there was one auto store that wanted $30 per drum but at that price you would just buy a new one.

    Around 1972 my Father brought his 66 Wildcat to the local Sunoco gas station as it needed the front AL drum turned.
    The owner put the car on the lift, did the disassembly and trued the drum all for a whopping $3!
     
  16. hugger

    hugger Well-Known Member

  17. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    Wow a disc brake setup inside a Al drum to mimic the look:)
    Thanks for posting this link! hugger..
     

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