Who has used Muscle Car Brakes kits for drum brakes?

moparedtn · Sep 23, 2020

There's a rather "energetic" member here who pops up from time to time with sets of Mopar
original shoes, too. Dunno if he has any more or what the skinny is on those, but they were
original Mopar part numbers (semi-met? pre-asbestos ban?).
I don't think he's a registered vendor or anything like that.

Dennis H · Sep 23, 2020

Note these are 11” Hemi drums. They were rock like before and pulled to the left so the difference was dramatic. A lot of personal preference here.
I like the modulation and control of the drums vs the new car. I put it in neutral on my favorite exit ramp 87 at Curtner and romp just to enjoy them. Sick i know. I grew up with this technology so hard to understand the shock and fear when a youngster reacts to drums.

moparedtn · Sep 23, 2020

Dennis H said:
Note these are 11” Hemi drums. They were rock like before and pulled to the left so the difference was dramatic. A lot of personal preference here.
I like the modulation and control of the drums vs the new car. I put it in neutral on my favorite exit ramp 87 at Curtner and romp just to enjoy them. Sick i know. I grew up with this technology so hard to understand the shock and fear when a youngster reacts to drums.

11x3 front and 11x2.5 rear, correct?
By the way, what master cylinder do you have on yours? The stock one? Come to find out, mine may have the
later model "wrong" MC on it? The whole stock drum manual master cylinder thing always confused me...

Dennis H · Sep 23, 2020

Hmm. Stock MC. Not sure on the numbers. Whatever factory put on. Pollacks. Lynch Road. May 1969.

TxDon · Sep 24, 2020

Dennis H said:
Note these are 11” Hemi drums. They were rock like before and pulled to the left so the difference was dramatic. A lot of personal preference here.
I like the modulation and control of the drums vs the new car. I put it in neutral on my favorite exit ramp 87 at Curtner and romp just to enjoy them. Sick i know. I grew up with this technology so hard to understand the shock and fear when a youngster reacts to drums.

Did you use their entire kit including drums, hardware and hydraulics?

Dennis H · Sep 24, 2020

Yes. At the time it was called Brakes in a Box. Springs, shoes, etc.

TxDon · Sep 25, 2020

Dennis H said:
Yes. At the time it was called Brakes in a Box. Springs, shoes, etc.

So you did not use their Thermo Cooled drums? If you used stock drums with their linings have you noticed heavy drum wear in your long use cycle?

Dennis H · Sep 25, 2020

Don’t remember that. No replacement component or adjustments since kit installed. Many years and many miles. I had the drums “turned at that time too. Hard to find a shop that has the machine any more.

TxDon · Sep 28, 2020

I did expand my online research of MCB and have found a number of satisfied users of their parts with other car makes. The company has been around for many years and was originally called Praise Dyno Brakes, all started by John Ambrose. I have learned that I can't use B-body drums on my C-body but instead of using the MCB drums some have had their stock drums cryo-treated for the same result - never knew you could do that. Still researching this plus other drum options.

I am still surprised there are not more actual users of MCB on here based on the quantity of comments found on search...

Billccm · Sep 28, 2020

You can also check out Porterfield brake shoes. They have a compound that is supposed to improve drum braking with stock drums. I have heard that their material is hard on drums.

HD539 · Sep 28, 2020

I’ve currently using them on a Roadrunner. I’m happy with them, seem to be quality compared to the first round of crap I bought at NAPA. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

TxDon · Sep 29, 2020

HD539 said:
I’ve currently using them on a Roadrunner. I’m happy with them, seem to be quality compared to the first round of crap I bought at NAPA. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.

MCB or Porterfield?

moparedtn · Sep 29, 2020

TxDon said:
I did expand my online research of MCB and have found a number of satisfied users of their parts with other car makes. The company has been around for many years and was originally called Praise Dyno Brakes, all started by John Ambrose. I have learned that I can't use B-body drums on my C-body but instead of using the MCB drums some have had their stock drums cryo-treated for the same result - never knew you could do that. Still researching this plus other drum options.

I am still surprised there are not more actual users of MCB on here based on the quantity of comments found on search...

Now, this I did not know - an 11x3 drum for a b-body isn't the same for a c-body, for example?

HD539 · Sep 29, 2020

TxDon said:
MCB or Porterfield?

I believe MCB,

MarPar · Sep 29, 2020

TxDon said:
I did expand my online research of MCB and have found a number of satisfied users of their parts with other car makes. The company has been around for many years and was originally called Praise Dyno Brakes, all started by John Ambrose. I have learned that I can't use B-body drums on my C-body but instead of using the MCB drums some have had their stock drums cryo-treated for the same result - never knew you could do that. Still researching this plus other drum options.

I am still surprised there are not more actual users of MCB on here based on the quantity of comments found on search...

I purchased MCB brakes for my 69 Newport on Dennis' recommendation. I LOVE them. I dont drive the Newport much anymore, but when I did, the brakes we great. Excellent stopping power with no fade. Installation was straight forward. Just watch all of your fittings so they dont snap in place. DAMHIK.

The two kits I ordered (in 2016) were PLY 336 WC-C (brakes in a box) for the front and PLY 335 WC-C (brakes in a box) for the rear. $198 a piece plus shipping. This is everything but the drums. Get yer drums cut, put their pads on (make sure you bed them as per the instructions!) and go to town. While you are at it, you might as well change the 2 rubber hoses in front and the one over the axle out back.

Call em up. The guy I talked to (I do not remember his name, though I do not think it was John as it says on the invoice below) was very knowledgeable and I called multiple times before I purchased them and you can tell he cared and wanted to get it right.

Side note: I am on C bodies also. Same handle as here.

Cuddy · Sep 30, 2020

I used them on the road kill road runner in the phot section on this site. The owner John was a nice guy. It is nice stuff. I would use them again. I felt the bang for the buck was worth it

TxDon · Sep 30, 2020

moparedtn said:
Now, this I did not know - an 11x3 drum for a b-body isn't the same for a c-body, for example?

Nope. They are different in the parts book and do not interchange per my Hollander manual, not sure why exactly but nope.

TxDon · Sep 30, 2020

MarPar said:
I purchased MCB brakes for my 69 Newport on Dennis' recommendation. I LOVE them. I dont drive the Newport much anymore, but when I did, the brakes we great. Excellent stopping power with no fade. Installation was straight forward. Just watch all of your fittings so they dont snap in place. DAMHIK.

The two kits I ordered (in 2016) were PLY 336 WC-C (brakes in a box) for the front and PLY 335 WC-C (brakes in a box) for the rear. $198 a piece plus shipping. This is everything but the drums. Get yer drums cut, put their pads on (make sure you bed them as per the instructions!) and go to town. While you are at it, you might as well change the 2 rubber hoses in front and the one over the axle out back.

Call em up. The guy I talked to (I do not remember his name, though I do not think it was John as it says on the invoice below) was very knowledgeable and I called multiple times before I purchased them and you can tell he cared and wanted to get it right.

View attachment 1008312

Side note: I am on C bodies also. Same handle as here.

Thanks. Does your car have front discs or is it all drums? John is the guy i talked to and he is the owner, seems like it may be a one man show...

MarPar · Sep 30, 2020

TxDon said:
Thanks. Does your car have front discs or is it all drums? John is the guy i talked to and he is the owner, seems like it may be a one man show...

Maybe it was John then. I have power drums all the way around.

moparedtn · Sep 30, 2020

TxDon said:
Nope. They are different in the parts book and do not interchange per my Hollander manual, not sure why exactly but nope.

Interesting. Is it a cooling fin thing or thickness of casting or some such I wonder?

Who has used Muscle Car Brakes kits for drum brakes?

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