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I know about the very poor availability of drums for these trucks as well as the disc brake conversions. The question i have is what would be the demand for new drums for these trucks? Also is there any kind of cross to a civvy truck model for the drums? Just an idea, i may be able to locate a shop that could make new drums and was thinking about possibly trying to market them. Any thoughts?

Myself I'd rather run the drums as it was OE but there are advantages to running the upgrades I suppose but will not be going that route... So I'll cringe and pony up for what I can get in the meantime...

New OE drums I'd be in...

id be up for some new drums for mine as well depending on cost.

im figuring that most would stay with drums, it would be just replacing parts and not modifying anything. The last thing i would want to do is step on the disc brake conversion guys toes though. Im going to call that shop and see what can be done and the cost of it.

I don't think you would be stepping on their toes. The disc brake conversion is kind of in a class by itself (performancewise) for these trucks. Putting new drums on isn't going to come close to the disc brake performance. As far as it being worth it to make new drums that's a good question. Even after the materials and tooling is all done the shipping is going to be a pain since they are heavy and bulky. Also, it's not like these trucks go so darn fast that they are burning/breaking up drums constantly either so demand may not really be there. Now if you had a friend who could do everything for the sheer enjoyment of it,,then you would be on to something

i just may have someone that can do it here locally for materials. Im also in contact with a brake supplier down in denver that is into finding "weird" stuff, as the guy stated it. Im going to bring them down and hes gonna see if he can cross to anything at all. They also have a supplier that can make drums. This should be interesting....

Would it be more cost effective to re-line the drums and then machine them again? I know that some wear components in industrial applications have the surface rebuilt with weld bead and are then re-machined back into tolerance.

I don't know if this process would work for brake drums, but anything is possible.

Also, alot of these trucks went oversea's - is there any chance that some manufacturers from abroad picked up the incentive to provide replacement parts?

thats what i was wondering, not to mention KIA made copies of these trucks. Also with the numbers that were made, you'd figure that someone somewhere must make drums for it, they couldn't be completely application specific. Dodge had to have used them elsewhere. Ive used the place I'm talking to a few times for odd application stuff when i was working, if anyone can find it, they can.

Dodge DID use these drums on other applications. The 3/4 ton WC, and the WC 61 and 62, in WW2, then the Power Wagons (WDX through WM300 models) from 1946 through 1971 or 72 depending on who you ask.
Not much help, but if you did get them reproduced, those vehicles would all be candidates.
Tim

Master Yota wrote:Would it be more cost effective to re-line the drums and then machine them again? I know that some wear components in industrial applications have the surface rebuilt with weld bead and are then re-machined back into tolerance.

I don't know if this process would work for brake drums, but anything is possible.

We used to do that with the heads for the hammer mill at the rock quarry all the time, but they were steel and we used hardened steel welding rods on 'em. Brake drums are cast, so I don't know if you could do it without warping them all to heck.

Another idea how about turning them to an acceptable inner diameter then having a new wear surface ring installed by heating the drum and letting it cool and tighten up on the new surface kinda like replacing a ring gear on a flywheel but opposite...

Oddjob wrote:Another idea how about turning them to an acceptable inner diameter then having a new wear surface ring installed by heating the drum and letting it cool and tighten up on the new surface kinda like replacing a ring gear on a flywheel but opposite...

Brake drums generate alot of heat though - I'd hate to see the outcome of a drum expanding away from the new liner... I suppose its possible if the drum and the liner shared the same thermal expansion properties, and the liner could be sufficiently secured to the drum either via weld, or epoxy, or other means.

I belive that the option of just having the brake shoes relined with some additional material (while a stop-gap measure) is usually the most cost effective one for a truck that isn't driven alot. A truck that is driven alot would benifit from the disc swap if the original parts to make it stop are almost unobtanium.
There are always choices, but occaisionaly, some choices get made for us, wether its in the direction we want to go or not...

I have actually heard of someone using the method I outlined above... Now to what extent they use the brakes perhaps just for parade or show... I don't know but I would share the same safety concerns and they were secured with welds... Some vehicles there just aren't any alternatives I suppose... I like moving displays myself I don't get a big thrill of looking at a vehicle in a museum or and airplane on the ground... That's just robbing the sole of the vehicle...

ya exactly, i think its something that would actually be a major improvement on a lot of trucks. There has to be trucks sitting out there because the brakes are beyond use. I got a call from the shop in denver and they think they may have found something that will work. well see...

Just my 2 cents worth .
I have had to slam on my brakes to avoid a cell phoning girl pulling through traffic to make a left turn out of a parking lot. You couldn't fit another coat of paint between me and her. My disk brakes made the difference in stopping fast enough. I can't say enough about the added safety of the disk brakes over any front drum system. If you are only going to drive in parades and at events ok. But if you are like me and like to drive your truck around town for fun and just to take a ride go the distance and get the disk brakes.