Whats you gonna do?

[ol yeller]

Went to adj brakes, found one adjustor missing teeth. So pull drum to find drum really grooved. In the process, notice kingpins got some wobble. Was planning on upgrading to disks, but haven't located a donner yet, wanted to get power steering too. Don't think the drums are up to turning. Do you get that much move from disks? I'm really thinking of just replacing everything and keeping the drums. Any suggestions?

[fordman]

if the drums aren't too badly grooved you can run them like that. however if you do run them the brakes make stick the next time you have to pull the drum off. so you will have to end up backing the brakes way back in in order to remove the drum again for what ever reason.

if they are bad and they can't be turned and you can't find another drum somewhere them you might have to upgrade to discs

[mcarlson11]

new drums are going to cost around $100 bucks apiece. IMO you should switch to discs since you want to anyway. It will be ok to continue driving on the drum the way it is until you find a donor.

[binder56jd]

Disc are a lot easier to maintain than drums - also disc don't have the tendency to pull you 1 direction or the other as drums do. One thing I learned about drums is to set the rears pretty snug and set the fronts less so- although I was informed later after, doing this for several years w/ no problem that the fronts do the majority of the braking- all I know for sure is I always stopped that way and didn't have to worry about right or left pull JD

[72hiboy4x4]

One of the major advantages of Disc brakes over drum is the disc brake's ability to clean itself off (after a dip in a puddle of water or mud, say) than drums. on a rainy day, the discs are a lot safer than drums.
also there is the self-adjusting factor mentioned above.
And I believe that disc brakes don't fade as bad as drums on a long hill with a load on the truck.
OMHO, I'd take disc brakes over drum any day. if the costs are about the same, I'd say you are better off with the disc brakes.
There's a reason almost all modern vehicles come standard with 2 and even 4 wheel disc brakes!

[Jake11]

Back when they built 4000pound cars, they put drums on them. That
worked fine around town if you stayed under 35mph. If you were speeding
and had stop fast, you could stand on the brake pedal with both feet and
it would still keep rolling. Then along came disk brakes! I would figure
out a way to put them on any car/truck I owned. JMO

[fordman]

then those jerks put those anti lock brakes on and i almost hit two people because of them.

[Jake11]

Yah, they should have a switch on those so you can turn that off.
I don't like em either. I can crash just as good, without help from a
brake computer.

[1970F250]

rear disc brakes

http://www.tsmmfg.com/2659.htm

[fordman]

i think i should pull my fuse so they won't work jake what do you think?

[1970F250]

can you do that?

[fordman]

yes on some veichiles it depends on the year i think.

[1970F250]

i dont know if i like it or not. my dads f150 has it. i think its good if your not use to pumping the brakes. because my truck just slides but his just stops and you can still steer it.

[fordman]

mine won't stop it has too much auto pumping going on. it keeps going.