32 - 35 Brake Drums

[2935ford]

Probably more years than I have listed and new Model A's are covered.
Is there a source for these brake drums? What are folks using?

I see all the major suppliers start at '28 - '31 then '40 forward.

[Terry,OH]

32 thru 34 may be the same but 35 is all by itself. Have to find good originals, they are not repoped and beside none of the repops appear like the originals.

[Bruce Lancaster]

'32-4 interchange, '35 is unique. Get something like a KD drum caliper, set it on 12, and go fleamarket hunting.

[2935ford]

Thanks Terry, OH, that's kinda what I was thinking. Can make for an interesting search!

[2935ford]

Up here....there are no car fleamarkets!

[Lawson Cox]

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Originally Posted by Bruce Lancaster

'32-4 interchange, '35 is unique. Get something like a KD drum caliper, set it on 12, and go fleamarket hunting.

12 inch diameter drums cover a whole multitude of of various years of Ford drums. If he is looking for 35's, he needs to look for drums that have the raised areas inside the lug circumfrance. Only year that has them to my understanding. A small pocket size tape measure is just as good for measuring 12".

[Bruce Lancaster]

But not as good for measuring 12.080!
In places that don't have old car fleamarkets, old Ford brake drums are normally found under homemade trailers behind barns, in my experience.

[alchemy]

Originally Posted by Lawson Cox

12 inch diameter drums cover a whole multitude of of various years of Ford drums. If he is looking for 35's, he needs to look for drums that have the raised areas inside the lug circumfrance. Only year that has them to my understanding. A small pocket size tape measure is just as good for measuring 12".

I'm not an expert on mechanical drums, but I do know that the drums prior to '35 also had the raised nubs inside the lug circumference. The same wire wheel would bolt on there.

[2935ford]

Yes Bruce, that's where we end up looking.

I have a set of '34s and a set of '32 pickup coming both from vehicles that are being "modernized".
What is the danger zone for the "not less than" steel measurement?
Are these as thin as the original A drums?

[2935ford]

alchemy, my very next question. Thank you.
Will '32 - '35 drums accept 18 17 and 16" wires?

[alchemy]

Originally Posted by 2935ford

Will '32 - '35 drums accept 18 17 and 16" wires?

It's been done a million times.

[2935ford]

thank you.
Will they fit ok on A drums?

[DavidG]

The sure-fire way to tell '32-'34 drums from '35s is that the former lack cooling fins around the circumference. The latter have them.

[2935ford]

DavidG, thank you.

[2935ford]

Also, are the drums interchangeable?

[DavidG]

The Barrie meet used to be likely worth the trip from New Brunswick, but not of late.

[2935ford]

yes, that's my understanding.

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by alchemy

I'm not an expert on mechanical drums, but I do know that the drums prior to '35 also had the raised nubs inside the lug circumference. The same wire wheel would bolt on there.

You are correct. Senior moment or brain fart one or the other.

[Bruce Lancaster]

On thickness/oversize, these are cast iron and much thicker than pressed steel of Model A drums (late '31 got iron, very much like '32 drums except diameter).
There is no Ford published oversize spec on these as far as I know...I have a LOT of Ford paper and I've looked in a lot of places.
For perfectly safe conservative standards, I would use the .060 oversize maximum that seems to apply to about everything in passenger car sized drums.
I know many people are running more oversize than that on hard to find drums and suspect that a little bigger is likely OK, but that is your call.
On a lightly scored drum, in my personal opininion and experience (and I have found backing on this from an actual brake engineer) I would NOT cut the drum. The shoes quickly adapt to minor grooves and the very minor difference in surface area if you have a groove on one side and not the other cannot be felt in road use. I personally feel that I would much rather have extra thickness than a perfectly grooveless surface 030 or 060 larger...

[2935ford]

Thanks Bruce.
I agree.