Can't find new rear hubs for '74

[Rusty Nail]

It's been my experience that a brand new drum or rotor is NOT straight , out of the box and MUST be turned prior to installation. I bet one million dollars that's what's wrong.

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[Erik]

Could certainly well be the drums.

Here's an update. Got the new old hubs from a junkyard and he put them on today. The problem is still there. With the wheel off and the truck up on stands and in drive, you can clearly see that it's not rotating evenly around the spindle. (I forgot to take a video while the wheels were off, dammit.) To the naked eye, it looks like the movement is the drum, like it's not balanced right or the center hole is not truly centered or something like that.

The reason we didn't think it was the drums is we tried two different pairs, one from Autozone and one from Napa, and had the same problem, so it seemed unlikely both pairs were bad. Now, both pairs are made in China, and I could see Autozone and Napa buying from the same supplier, so I guess it's possible both pairs were slightly out of round.

I guess my next step is to bite the bullet and take it to the neighborhood shop, which I've only used a couple times but has been there 40 years and has a good reputation. They'll have or have access to the machine shop equipment to figure out what the hell is going on.

 

[Erik]

so this guy installed new drums and left the old shoes? he is no mechanic. new shoes should ALWAYS be installed with new drums. in fact with the 14ff I prefer to do a complete brake job, just because it's such a pain in the ass taking the hubs and drums off. also before buying anything I would do run out tests on the drums and hubs. highdesertranger

He gave me the option of replacing the shoes too, but he said he thought they were fine so I told him not to. Lesson learned.

 

[bucket]

Big heavy drums have a lot of room for error. New ones usually need turned, and they are often very out of balance too. But it sounds like a lot of runout, my bet is still that the drums are not fully seated to the hubs.

 

[Erik]

Is a typical auto repair shop going to have the ability to turn drums, or at least have a local place they send them to? The only dedicated brake shop I see on google near me is called Brakes 4 Less, and I don’t like the sound of that.

 

[Dougnsalem]

Big heavy drums have a lot of room for error. New ones usually need turned, and they are often very out of balance too. But it sounds like a lot of runout, my bet is still that the drums are not fully seated to the hubs.

Yeah, man, Im still thinking that too. How about marking the high spot on the drum. Then spin it 180 degrees on the hub??? See if it moves?

 

[Erik]

It could be a combo of needing to have the drums turned and the hubs not being fully seated. Today he was having a helluva time getting them seated.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Hell man, O'Reilly's can turn the drums...brake lathes aren't hard to find.
I think you're barking up the right tree now, let THAT be the lesson - to turn even brand new drums/rotors. Experience kickin in... Good luck!

 

[Erik]

Yep. I’ve never had a vehicle before with drums, or a carburetor, or made before 1989. Lots to learn. However, I was able to get my carb choke and high idle working again, so that was a win!

 

[Rusty Nail]

I appreciate that, but to be clear this type of issue is not limited to drum brakes or vehicles made pre-89.
I believe the root stems from US jobs being shipped overseas where labor is cheap.
Quality control isn' t what it used to be but then again, parts used to be made in America.
Labor unions unnecessarily increase the cost of necessary goods, add the IRS being tied directly to health care as-if the argument for TORT REFORM needed any help!
Auto parts AND autos aren't what they used to be.
Our trucks are still on the road 40 years later and BRAND NEW FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLAR TRUCKS part out in less than a decade.
Never forget the UAW killed the American automobile industry and the EPA raised it from the dead because money.

New cars are for _______ .

Greed is at the root.

There is good reason square bodied Chevrolet and GMC trucks have cult following.

Knowing these things, one must adjust accordingly.

The people encountered in this MSB are _______.



Lol and i'm over here all like : "my 7 bizzos". It's no different than the 2 Live Crew single handedly destroying rap music and turning into what you hear today. 1989 indeed!. The masses were in revolt at the time of their emergence. Enter the parental advisory sticker.
Where do you think it came from, Big Brother?

Miami.

It's not unrelated to how people argue against TRUMP.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

The democrat party is in it's death throws. Their brand is OVER and they know it.

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Woohoo! Old Chevys!

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Yeah, follow that!

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[bucket]

I won't blame it on being manufactured overseas. Imagine if everything was still made here in this current environment. There's so many lazy sacks of crap and they would just demand top pay and put out terrible work. So many people don't have pride in their work, we would still be installing crap parts on our trucks, but it would cost a lot more.

 

[Frankenchevy]

just a suggestion...not sure if the stuff you've bought so far can be returned.

a disc brake conversion for a 14ff is super cheap and very easy. plus next time you have to do the rear brakes it'll only take a half hour. brackets are made by several companies for around $50, maybe less. you can get new or used calipers from a yard. all kind of rear gm stuff works. I used a 78 caddy Eldorado rear caliper and I think a k10 or k20 8 lug front rotor.

https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/BRAKEPROD.html

best of luck

 

[roundhouse]

Any decent mechanic should have a dial indicator to check drums and rotors and flywheels for runout



I have a magnetic one I got at a
Yard sale and I’m just a shade tree mechanic

I don’t even have a garage , I did my LS swap in my driveway


I’d remove the drums and check the hubs for runout

Mount the drums on a brake lathe and check them
Then mount the drums on the truck and check them
You have to determine if the hubs are out of round
Or if it’s the drums , or if it’s both
Or if the drums are just not getting centered properly on the hubs

I was gonna suggest draining the brake fluid from the rear and leaving the drums off and taking it for a test drive

But if you can see the wobble without a dial indicator it’s gotta be bad

Might be better to see if you can find some good used drums

 

[Erik]

just a suggestion...not sure if the stuff you've bought so far can be returned.

a disc brake conversion for a 14ff is super cheap and very easy. plus next time you have to do the rear brakes it'll only take a half hour. brackets are made by several companies for around $50, maybe less. you can get new or used calipers from a yard. all kind of rear gm stuff works. I used a 78 caddy Eldorado rear caliper and I think a k10 or k20 8 lug front rotor.

https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/BRAKEPROD.html

best of luck

I’ve been curious, what’s the advantage of converting to disc brakes? Just easier to work on or better performance?

 

[Frankenchevy]

I’ve been curious, what’s the advantage of converting to disc brakes? Just easier to work on or better performance?

it sheds a ton of rotational mass and unsprung weight. so it will improve rear suspension performance, mpg and acceleration; albeit may not be huge. they are better performing (especially when wet or with a load in the bed) and much easier to work on. if you live in an area with mud or salt or any contaminating debris, they clear that stuff way better too.

there really aren't a ton of reasons to not, other than some cash and losing originality.