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How do non power brakes work?

99ss

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How do non power brakes work on a 1970 b body? SS/GTX clone car...
how does the pedal get back to the top position? Spring?
The rest I guess is self explanatory.. ? LOL
 
Yes there's a spring on the brake rod. But the springs between the pads pull the shoes away from the drums when you release the pedal forcing the fluid back thru the wheel cylinders into the master cylinder.
 
so thats it right, the rest is just the MC and brake lines... been like for ever since I worked on drum brakes... and helpful tips or anything

thank you !
 
What are people doing for upgrades? or where is a good place to buy a kit with all I need to rebuild the current drum brakes?
 
Yes there's a spring on the brake rod. But the springs between the pads pull the shoes away from the drums when you release the pedal forcing the fluid back thru the wheel cylinders into the master cylinder.

You sure about that there spring? I have two manual brake cars, I don't have a spring on either.
 
"How do non power brakes work on a 1970 b body?" Answer: not well at all. At least, not for me. First thing I did on my last drum-brake car was change to power front disc.
 
I had 6 cylinder/small brake shoes on the front of my 3800+ Lb '63 plymouth that worked well up to 125 MPH in the 1/4 mile.I upgraded to non power front disc brakes by SSBC:icon_cheers:
 
Not sure who really made my disc brake kit. I got mine from Jeg's but it looks like the kit that comes from Master Power Brakes. They are non-power front disc and they stop the car real quick.

There is no spring. I had a pedal that didn't come all the way up. I found out that I needed to get a new M/C
 
Not sure who really made my disc brake kit. I got mine from Jeg's but it looks like the kit that comes from Master Power Brakes. They are non-power front disc and they stop the car real quick.
Absolutely... but my lazy old leg told me to stick in a power booster.
 
Spoke to SSBC and that master will do the job for what ever I convert to later.. so I guess I am buying that master unless someone has a better plan?
 
Here is a question ...how much poressure does it take on the pedal? Maybe mine are working fine but I'm not used to pushing my foot as hard as I can to stop the car?
going to order the power MC though..
 
The problem may be the wrong master cylinder bore. The bore of the master you use should be based on the bore of the front caliper and rear wheel cylinders. Have the wring master affects pressure to apply the brakes and the clamping pressure. I'm manual brakes its just more noticeable.
 
looks to be all stock, I talked to the SSBC tech .. I can use the same MC when I upgrade to the front disc kit, its the same MC they send in the complete kit so I'm good to go for the future restoration.
 
Drums brakes can work very well. I ran a 68 Road Runner 10.60's and had manual drum brakes on it and had no problem stopping it without going to the last turnoff but I did have 11'' drums on it. The type of shoes or pads you use will make a difference in how well the car stops. Bore size of the master can also change your pedal 'feel'. You can also play games with the 'ratio' of the pedal. A longer pedal will give you more leverage but a stock system in good shape and using good parts should work fine. Here's a link to some info plus you can find info on the net about how hydraulics work and what will produce more pressure in the system beside just the mechanical end of it. Many people complained of how lousy the brakes were on these cars when they were new but a large part of that problem was the factory installed shoes that were barely adequate for normal driving let alone high performance driving. It's not much better today when you buy from the chain store auto parts with most of the junk being made in China. When you think brakes, think best parts made! http://www.familycar.com/brakes.htm
 
I agree with Cranky, drums are fine until they get heated up. The master for drum and disks should be of a different bore size no matter what MP tells you. Even autozone will have three different bore sizes for our cars
 
Heat kills any type of brake but disc brakes do manage it better....but generally, the better the shoe, the more heat it'll take and using the ribbed drums is a factor when using drums. I live in a flat part of the country (Gulf Coast) so I don't have to contend with mountainous terrain and melted brakes and boiled fluid.
 
well drums are off and it aint pretty thats for sure..LOL
they do move a little bit though but it does look like some leaking cylinders and to be honest a complete rebuild looks to be in order for each side ... so the dilema is rebuild these or just bite the bullet on the disc kit now.. not sure of prices yet for a complete rebuild on these?
 
Wheel cylinders should be available as are the shoes. You might try looking at Rockauto.com for prices or even buying from them. AZ and the like all sell wheel cylinders from China.......
 
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