Are 11" brakes desirable?

[68BabyBlue]

I think later year 11 drums did receive auto adjusters. My 66 has a Dana from a later year car, don’t remember the year, 68 or 69, and the 11x2-1/2 rear brakes have self adjusters. I may remove them but I need to make sure that’s possible without consequences.

Baby Blue, early build '68 GTX, came from the factory with 11 inch drums, without self adjusters. My friend Bob, who sold me the car in 1983, installed self adjusters he pulled out of a junk yard car. The guys who did my PA state inspections always got a kick out of that when they pulled the drums to measure the brake lining depth.

 

[icetech]

Baby Blue, early build '68 GTX, came from the factory with 11 inch drums, without self adjusters. My friend Bob, who sold me the car in 1983, installed self adjusters he pulled out of a junk yard car. The guys who did my PA state inspections always got a kick out of that when they pulled the drums to measure the brake lining depth.

didn't know they had to do inspections like that.. here in mich you can pretty much drive a frame with wheels and no one cares

 

[68BabyBlue]

didn't know they had to do inspections like that.. here in mich you can pretty much drive a frame with wheels and no one cares

When I lived in Indiana it was the same way. I had to put my '66 Imperial through PA inspection when I moved home in 2000, and I spent $1600 on a complete exhaust from the head pipe back, as well as new brakes all around to get the car street legal. The shop loved having me back.

 

[icetech]

When I lived in Indiana it was the same way. I had to put my '66 Imperial through PA inspection when I moved home in 2000, and I spent $1600 on a complete exhaust from the head pipe back, as well as new brakes all around to get the car street legal. The shop loved having me back.

eck..... that sounds like hell..

 

[68BabyBlue]

eck..... that sounds like hell..

It is. I am fortunate to have Mopar friends with inspection licenses. Pennsylvania used to require two stickers a year, finally cut back to annual inspections a few years ago. Legal extortion to prop the garages up. The dealers abuse the daylights out of it. Sears Roebuck got in big trouble in PA after getting really greedy. They ripped me off 40 years ago, I got connected with the current shop shortly after.

 

[DeltaV]

It is. I am fortunate to have Mopar friends with inspection licenses. Pennsylvania used to require two stickers a year, finally cut back to annual inspections a few years ago. Legal extortion to prop the garages up. The dealers abuse the daylights out of it. Sears Roebuck got in big trouble in PA after getting really greedy. They ripped me off 40 years ago, I got connected with the current shop shortly after.

Ditto for the Commonwealth of Virginia back in the day. They were still requiring 2 per year when I moved out of state in 1980.

 

[68BabyBlue]

Ditto for the Commonwealth of Virginia back in the day. They were still requiring 2 per year when I moved out of state in 1980.

That explains the awesome mechanical condition of GTX number three when I bought it from the original owner in 1991. The car spent 22 years in Virginia, and had a current inspection sticker when I bought it.

 

[TorRed]

66-72 B bodies were 11x3" front 11x2.5" rear.

Self adjusters started in 1970 model year for 11" brakes.
66-69 11" were manual adjusters.

Yes arcing the shoes to the drum gets you full contact on the shoes from the start, big difference over waiting for them to wear in. Brake reline shops still do that.

My 70 RR has this all-drum configuration right now, but have a Dr Diff front disc brake upgrade ready to put on. Staying with manual brakes for now, but may upgrade to power if it's an issue for me to stop the car.

 

[B-Body 70]

All, I bought another 70 K-Frame & suspension. Why - well honestly it's a bit of addiction

I spotted it online from a 70 Charger Big Block. I noticed the drums looked in decent shape and it still had the anti-vibration springs. I thought they'd be nice to have and a few spare parts and sell what I don't want to keep. Good plan right?

Well I checked out the drums and they seem to have life left and the groove for the vibration spring are rust free, so I bought it.

This morning while disassembling I noticed they seemed different than mine. Well duh - they're 11" drums.

So before I go and list them in the marketplace, is there any reason I should consider replacing my 10" front drums with them? My car goal is to put it back to original condition with factory/period parts where possible. Not a concours restore as those folks are on another level. I don't have a build sheet, but I think 11s on front and 10 on rears would be a giveaway. I also suspect the brake system is designed for 10s all around, but I'm not an expert.

Thoughts or arguments to use the 11s? Do people seek them out.

Thanks
Ross

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I’m doing the same thing running factory on my 69 charger. They are both 11” and no ware turned and powdered. I’m going this route first then if not liking it I’ll upgrade .

 

[moparx]

It is. I am fortunate to have Mopar friends with inspection licenses. Pennsylvania used to require two stickers a year, finally cut back to annual inspections a few years ago. Legal extortion to prop the garages up. The dealers abuse the daylights out of it. Sears Roebuck got in big trouble in PA after getting really greedy. They ripped me off 40 years ago, I got connected with the current shop shortly after.

as soon as i got my charger out of it's long "hibernation" a couple years ago, i got a Pa. "antique" title and tag for it. no more inspections or tag fees............

 

[Resto_1]

Wodering if the '70 drums set-up will fit a '64? I know rthe advantages of discs. Trying to keep this '64 as original looking as I can while upgrading the brakes to split system and 11" brakes.

 

[Kern Dog]

Drum brake cars equipped with modern lining material stop very well.

It is interesting that so many of us dump the drum brakes to switch to discs while big rigs weighing 80,000 lbs loaded have drum brakes on the trailer.
If the brakes work for big rigs, why did the automakers abandon them for discs on passenger cars and trucks?

 

[AR67GTX]

Wodering if the '70 drums set-up will fit a '64? I know rthe advantages of discs. Trying to keep this '64 as original looking as I can while upgrading the brakes to split system and 11" brakes.

11” drums were available on 64s with the 426 street wedge. But I’m not sure what later year drums, if any, will swap on.

 

[Resto_1]

I remember 11" with the Street Wedge. Was leaning toward that setup if the '70 swap would work I could work with the guy the sarted the thread.

 

[68BabyBlue]

It is interesting that so many of us dump the drum brakes to switch to discs while big rigs weighing 80,000 lbs loaded have drum brakes on the trailer.
If the brakes work for big rigs, why did the automakers abandon them for discs on passenger cars and trucks?

The difference is the size of the components. I briefly drove disc brakes on tractor trailers in the 1980s. CEO always wanted to be first on the block with technology. Eventually ended badly.

The discs were far superior to drums on the initial descent of a steep grade, or a quick stop. The problem arouse when they cooled down. Unless the driver re-adjusted them immediately afterward, there was insufficient contact with the pads and rotor on the next braking event.

The fleet was retrofitted to drums in 1985, at a cost that nearly put the company out of business.

 

[kreauto]

That brake system on the semis was forced on the trucking industry in about 1975. It was called the 121 anti lock system. I went to Mack school in Allentown in 1978. Theirs was hydraulic over air disc. The whole trucking industry took a big hit for following the government mandate. We rear ended a car with one of our trucks and threatened to sue Mack Trucks because the drums and disc just applied and released with a mind of their own. It was pretty scary to drive them. I serviced a GMC Astro truck tractor that every 6 months the rotors were cracked. I could not order Bendix disc brakes on any semis until 2010. It took that long to make sure they would work! Everything newer than 2010 we have now is Bendix or Haldex disc. On a semi I will never go back to drums when buying new. We paid for engineering for Peterbilts first 4 axle truck with Bendix disc on front in 2010. They got it right this time.