This is a thread for discussion not for a specific answer: I have a 63 hard top, stock, 155k miles, mostly original, and the stock brakes seemed marginal at best.
I looked at the drums, slave cylinders, and shoes, all was well. I looked at the master cylinder and brake booster, and both were a bit tired.
I found the brakes were acting like typical drum brakes...worked but did not inspire confidence, did not feel good drive the car fast.
I had seriously considered the disc brake conversion, but when all said and done it would require at least $1500, for all the brake parts and five replacement 15" rims and tires.
Preferring the cheap route initially, I removed the master and booster, rebuilt the master personally with a hone and a parts kit, and sent out the booster for a commercial rebuild.
Put it all back together and found the brakes were 100% better...no disc conversion required.
Am I hallucinating ? Or are the factory drum brakes under-rated due to a chronic lack of understanding of how to make them work well by the T-Bird driving community ?
I think back to my Honda motorcycle riding days, I rode many bikes with drum and some with disc brakes, and usually the difference was negligible...
The basic friction device is there (the drum and shoe) you have to do some work to get it to function well.
Some drum brakes just really suck from the get-go. My dad's 72 nova had 4 wheel drums that utterly sucked. Worst car ever made. Could not be rehabilitated not matter what.
I looked at the drums, slave cylinders, and shoes, all was well. I looked at the master cylinder and brake booster, and both were a bit tired.
I found the brakes were acting like typical drum brakes...worked but did not inspire confidence, did not feel good drive the car fast.
I had seriously considered the disc brake conversion, but when all said and done it would require at least $1500, for all the brake parts and five replacement 15" rims and tires.
Preferring the cheap route initially, I removed the master and booster, rebuilt the master personally with a hone and a parts kit, and sent out the booster for a commercial rebuild.
Put it all back together and found the brakes were 100% better...no disc conversion required.
Am I hallucinating ? Or are the factory drum brakes under-rated due to a chronic lack of understanding of how to make them work well by the T-Bird driving community ?
I think back to my Honda motorcycle riding days, I rode many bikes with drum and some with disc brakes, and usually the difference was negligible...
The basic friction device is there (the drum and shoe) you have to do some work to get it to function well.
Some drum brakes just really suck from the get-go. My dad's 72 nova had 4 wheel drums that utterly sucked. Worst car ever made. Could not be rehabilitated not matter what.
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