Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Model A (1928-31)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 06-09-2014, 05:40 PM   #1
jim t utah
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 8
Default cast iron brake drums

any suggestions on where to purchase cast iron brake drums with new hubs installed. any venders at the national meet in Puyallup that would have them. are all drums made in the usa the same. thanx jim t
jim t utah is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2014, 06:17 PM   #2
Mel Gross
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 926
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

I could help you out!

Please call me

Thanks

Randy Gross

714-292-8660
Mel Gross is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 06-09-2014, 06:53 PM   #3
Mitch//pa
BANNED
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bucks County, PA
Posts: 11,454
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

give randy a call, good people, good product, good price
Mitch//pa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2014, 07:07 PM   #4
glenn in camino
Senior Member
 
glenn in camino's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Camino, CA.
Posts: 3,086
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

I got mine from Randy, and had Jim Nichols put them on my hubs and turn them.
glenn in camino is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2014, 10:18 PM   #5
Floats
Senior Member
 
Floats's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Mossel Bay, about 300km from Cape Town
Posts: 530
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

Hi Randy,
Could you please e-mail me details regarding you cast front drums for a 28 Model A to [email protected]
Regards
Chris
Cape Town
Floats is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2014, 08:40 AM   #6
29Cabriolet
Senior Member
 
29Cabriolet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 267
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Quote:
Originally Posted by jim t utah View Post
any suggestions on where to purchase cast iron brake drums with new hubs installed. any venders at the national meet in Puyallup that would have them. are all drums made in the usa the same. thanx jim t
I just purchased two front drums with hubs installed from TAM's in W. Boylston MA. I've not yet received them, but pricing ($275) was better than Bratton's, MACs and Snyder's ($300+)
29Cabriolet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2014, 11:17 AM   #7
CT AV8
Senior Member
 
CT AV8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Cos Cob, CT
Posts: 295
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

Quote:
Originally Posted by jim t utah View Post
any suggestions on where to purchase cast iron brake drums with new hubs installed. any venders at the national meet in Puyallup that would have them. are all drums made in the usa the same. thanx jim t
Mel Gross drums are not USA made but Bratton's and others are, hence the price differential.
Do a search here for lots of discussion on this topic:

Any one using Mel Gross Drums now and any comments - The Ford Barn
www.fordbarn.com › ... › General Discussion › Model A (1928-31)
Jan 1, 2011 - 20 posts - ‎12 authors
I installed Mel Gross drums on my 29 Todor last spring and have had ... Instead of Gross drums buy American made drums cast in America on American soil. ... You still have a chance to obtain good safe brake drums, for an ...
CT AV8 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2014, 02:42 PM   #8
raprice22
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 80
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

I bought my cast iron brake drums, shoes, etc from Brattons. Very satisfied with the quality and fit.
Rog
raprice22 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2014, 08:16 PM   #9
Smog Tech
Senior Member
 
Smog Tech's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Arcadia, CA
Posts: 145
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

Like many of you on the Barn, I have bad experiences using imported parts on my Model A. However, import parts can be high quality. I would not hesitate to use brake parts sold by Randy Gross. He an his dad have been supplying parts for Model A,s for a long time and have a very good reputation.
Smog Tech is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2014, 09:14 PM   #10
Dusty
Senior Member
 
Dusty's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Lincolnton, Georgia
Posts: 723
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

Quote:
Originally Posted by CT AV8 View Post
Mel Gross drums are not USA made but Bratton's and others are, hence the price differential.
Do a search here for lots of discussion on this topic:

Any one using Mel Gross Drums now and any comments - The Ford Barn
www.fordbarn.com › ... › General Discussion › Model A (1928-31)
Jan 1, 2011 - 20 posts - ‎12 authors
I installed Mel Gross drums on my 29 Todor last spring and have had ... Instead of Gross drums buy American made drums cast in America on American soil. ... You still have a chance to obtain good safe brake drums, for an ...
Huh??? Randy told me himself the drums were made at the factory he worked for in California. Oh wait I forgot, California is a foreign country

dusty
Dusty is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2014, 09:36 PM   #11
Fred K-OR
Senior Member
 
Fred K-OR's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Stayton, Oregon
Posts: 3,806
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

I purchased two sets of cast iron drums from Bert's in Denver. Very satisfied and also had them put on hubs.
__________________
Fred Kroon
1929 Std Coupe
1929 Huckster
Fred K-OR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 02:53 AM   #12
john charlton
Senior Member
 
john charlton's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,343
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

This is a long shot but you can get lucky at a swap meet . In the latter part of 1931 Ford brought out a cast iron (maybe steel) one piece front brake drum . This is the spoked style same as model B but 11" dia not 12" . I have bought several sets at swap meets in USA but they are more common here in UK .They are often overlooked as at first glance look like model B so take your tape measure with you !!! . English drums have the part number on the back but the USA ones do not .

John on really lovely hot sunny morning Suffolk County England
john charlton is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 05:25 AM   #13
bobusnick104
Member
 
bobusnick104's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: SW PA
Posts: 87
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

I got four cast iron drums from Snyder's. I live an hour away and gave them my old drums to remove the hubs and press them in the new ones. What a difference cast iron drums make!
bobusnick104 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 07:20 AM   #14
29Cabriolet
Senior Member
 
29Cabriolet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 267
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

Quote:
Originally Posted by bobusnick104 View Post
What a difference cast iron drums make!
How so?
29Cabriolet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 08:04 AM   #15
Growley bear
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 777
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

I bought my cast iron drums with hubs from Mikes Affordable. On the same order I also purchased bearings and seals. Mike had the bearings packed and installed with the new seals at no extra charge. All I had to do was install them, that was three thousand miles ago and not a problem.

Chet
Growley bear is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 10:18 AM   #16
bobusnick104
Member
 
bobusnick104's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: SW PA
Posts: 87
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

Quote:
Originally Posted by 29Cabriolet View Post
How so?
I live on a hill and with stamped drums, I wondered if there would be enough brake left at the bottom. I could feel the pedal travel as the drums heated. At one point I thought about putting the bands over the drums, but it seemed more like a band-aid than a fix.
bobusnick104 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 11:22 AM   #17
Growley bear
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 777
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

I installed bands on my stamped steel front drums, had them trued up on a brake drum lathe installed the original style woven lining front and rear. Steel drums on front cast drums on rear woven lining and wonderful mechanical brakes.

Chet
Growley bear is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 12:33 PM   #18
Mel Gross
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 926
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

To all that are threaded to this topic.

I never said that our drums were made in the U.S.A. I said that I work for one of the largest aftermarket brake drum and rotor suppliers in the U.S. and that the drums we sell are from the same source as the ones that I sell personally. We sell annually millions of pieces to accounts such as Carquest, Parts Plus, etc.... I buy the Model A drums from the company I work for and have complete control over their quality. No one else buys the Model A drums from my source. If people are that concerned, then please give some of my customers a call. Try Les Andrews, John LaVoy, Larry Blair "Loco Larry - The Tin Shed", Bill Hansen, Arizona Model A, Jim Nichols, Joe Davis at Aries Restoration, Ed James, etc ......... I have been selling these drums for close to ten years now, and we do not have any issues with them. I can send anybody the articles that we written up in the "Model A Times" publication about their quality. Just send to me an email requesting the articles. Thanks Randy Gross [email protected] 714-292-8660
Mel Gross is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 12:43 PM   #19
Purdy Swoft
Senior Member
 
Purdy Swoft's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alabama
Posts: 8,099
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

If the steel drums are in reasonable condition, Bands are a less expensive way to go . I have bands on the front steel drums of two of my model A's and they seem to work as well as the cast iron drums .
Purdy Swoft is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-11-2014, 03:31 PM   #20
wensum
Senior Member
 
wensum's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 444
Default Re: cast iron brake drums

I'm not sure where I purchased my cast iron drums from, but when a friend was swedging the wheel studs in, one drum shattered. That doesn't give one a great deal of confidence? I guess it's possible that he applied too much pressure?
Cheers,
Keith
wensum is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:31 PM.