Brakes don't feel right.

[skyman51]

I have a restored 1967 Hemi GTX. It has noon-power 11 inch drum brakes all the way around. It was restored in 2007 with completely new shoes and the original drums were cut. Only about 200 miles have been driven in 9 years. Do I really forget how bad non power drum brakes were in the day or could these brakes have become glazed with so little use? They don't stop great and require quite a bit of pressure on the pedal.

Second question, out of category, but easier than starting a new thread. I believe my speedometer is reading about 10 mph fast. The car has a 3.23 rear. What is the fix?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bruzilla]

Don't know about the brakes, but the speedo issue should be fixed with a new drive gear in the transmission. They sell these as a set on ebay. I'm sure there's a formula someone on here can tell you that can determine which gear you need.

 

[BBishere2]

Mymopar.com has a speedometer gear selection guide based on rear end ratio and tire size that should help.

 

[Dennis H]

Don't know either, but these guys made my 11"drums adequate for safe daily use. Lots of brakes and smooth. I don't make more than 3 high speed consecutive stops in a row to heat them up.

www.musclecarbrakes.com.

 

[69a100]

Holy schnickies those aren't cheap for 11X3's, glad I upgraded to disc's!

 

[TxDon]

The brake situation may have something to do with what other cars you drive. Both of my daily drivers have four wheel disc brakes and one is a Brembo setup. When I switch over to my hobby cars which both have drums there is a MAJOR difference. It is easy to forget how bad those old brakes really were even if they were in top condition. My GTX also has non-power brakes which further magnifies the difference. That said, after 9 years and very light use you may want to check for leaks or adjustment issues just to be sure. I'd also recommend flushing and bleeding the hydraulic system as cheap insurance.

 

[Kern Dog]

I drove Dennis' Coronet and was impressed at how his 4 wheel drum car stopped. A properly setup drum car does take longer to stop than a modern car but they do work.

 

[miller]

If you have a service manual for the car, look in the trans chapter. There's a speedo gear chart in there, that will tell you which gear you need. For the tire size bit, just find a tire size converter chart.

 

[skyman51]

My brake pedal feels fine and master cylinder is full. I don't think they need adjustment. I will have to pull the drums and look at the surface and the shoes.

 

[miller]

Guessing you know for a fact, you have the correct MC for manual brakes. Has the MC ever been over-hauled? If the rubber seals/cups are getting old, might need fresh ones, besides a good clean-up.
Know I've put my share of kits in MCs.