Disc vs Drum brakes
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,242
Likes: 2
From: Bartlett, TN
Disc vs Drum brakes
I am about to obtain a 9" rear from my old 57 to put in my 54. It has a 3.70:1 ratio - I believe it is higher than the original 54. It should fix some other problems.
My question concerns the front brakes. Will I get good service out of the drums, or should I go with a disc kit? I am going to go with a dual master and maybe even a firewall mounted brake petal.
My question concerns the front brakes. Will I get good service out of the drums, or should I go with a disc kit? I am going to go with a dual master and maybe even a firewall mounted brake petal.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,119
Likes: 2
From: Southern New Hampshire
Disc vs Drum brakes
Unless you are going racing with a few tons in the bed the drums will be fine.
My 85 F150 has a 9" and rear drums, possibly the size increased since 57, I dont have my Hollanders here at home.
Maybe George or one of the other sliderule types can comment on upgrading drums, especially the fronts and selecting the proper pressure ratios between front and rear.
My 54 F350 stops on a dime, especially empty! Wonder if those can be adapted to a F100?
My 85 F150 has a 9" and rear drums, possibly the size increased since 57, I dont have my Hollanders here at home.
Maybe George or one of the other sliderule types can comment on upgrading drums, especially the fronts and selecting the proper pressure ratios between front and rear.
My 54 F350 stops on a dime, especially empty! Wonder if those can be adapted to a F100?
Postmaster
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 3,730
Likes: 13
From: Waynesville, OH
Disc vs Drum brakes
I think Carl's bein' modest here - he has a truck that actually runs and he drives it. Experience is worth a thousand calculations.
From reading a lot of posts and other web sites, it seems like an upgrade to discs will do two things. First, you'll need less pedal pressure for a given amount of stopping power. Kind of like power steering - it's a comfort thing, or it could be a safety thing if you have trouble standing on the pedal hard enough. Second, discs don't fade with heat buildup as fast as drums do. I never did the "slide rule" stuff to figure out why this is so, but it is mentioned in too many places by reputable folks to not be true.
Bottom line, if you can comfortably put enough pedal pressure on to lock up your drum brakes, you're fine for everyday driving. If you want less effort, or if you do a lot of high-speed or mountain driving, you'll probably want the discs for the comfort and to avoid brake fade with repeated hard use.
From reading a lot of posts and other web sites, it seems like an upgrade to discs will do two things. First, you'll need less pedal pressure for a given amount of stopping power. Kind of like power steering - it's a comfort thing, or it could be a safety thing if you have trouble standing on the pedal hard enough. Second, discs don't fade with heat buildup as fast as drums do. I never did the "slide rule" stuff to figure out why this is so, but it is mentioned in too many places by reputable folks to not be true.
Bottom line, if you can comfortably put enough pedal pressure on to lock up your drum brakes, you're fine for everyday driving. If you want less effort, or if you do a lot of high-speed or mountain driving, you'll probably want the discs for the comfort and to avoid brake fade with repeated hard use.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 2,119
Likes: 2
From: Southern New Hampshire
Disc vs Drum brakes
C'mon George, get that shirt pocket slide rule out.
I was asking about how you size the braking pressures between front and rear by selecting line and cylinder bore sizes, valves, etc.
Seems to me that an early effie can use later Ford drum parts to improve braking and not need to go thru the expense and aggravation of poor fitting billet disc stuff.
IOW, this is not checkbook/plastic building
I was asking about how you size the braking pressures between front and rear by selecting line and cylinder bore sizes, valves, etc.
Seems to me that an early effie can use later Ford drum parts to improve braking and not need to go thru the expense and aggravation of poor fitting billet disc stuff.
IOW, this is not checkbook/plastic building
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 6,776
Likes: 553
From: Kalispell, MT
Disc vs Drum brakes
Carl described it right. Using your pickup for heavy hauling is different that just using it for transporting a couple of passengers. I run stock drums on the '48 and being able to stop was a major priority.
What I did was rebuild the entire brake system with new parts - drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, lines, etc. I rebuilt the single cyl. master cyl. Also rebuilt the emergency brake system with all new cables, making sure it works.
I've made panic stops for suicidal deer and other drivers and have yet to hit one. One difference I've noticed is you push the pedal with your whole leg, not just your toes like on power disks.
I drive in the mountains and have yet to notice any brake fade with drums, but I drive with mountain techniques - don't ride the brakes, use hard short jabs on the pedal instead of gradually increasing pressure. If you're hauling heavy loads drive like commercial truckers and start down the hill in a lower gear allowing the engine to hold you back.
Drums do work, but you have to decide what concessions you want to make in the way you drive.
What I did was rebuild the entire brake system with new parts - drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, lines, etc. I rebuilt the single cyl. master cyl. Also rebuilt the emergency brake system with all new cables, making sure it works.
I've made panic stops for suicidal deer and other drivers and have yet to hit one. One difference I've noticed is you push the pedal with your whole leg, not just your toes like on power disks.
I drive in the mountains and have yet to notice any brake fade with drums, but I drive with mountain techniques - don't ride the brakes, use hard short jabs on the pedal instead of gradually increasing pressure. If you're hauling heavy loads drive like commercial truckers and start down the hill in a lower gear allowing the engine to hold you back.
Drums do work, but you have to decide what concessions you want to make in the way you drive.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
From: Richmond VA
Disc vs Drum brakes
you can get in line proportioning values. i think disk are 2psi and drums are 10psi. if you keep both drums you can get a proportioning value that goes next to your master so you can balance pressure.
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Disc vs Drum brakes
I'm having a 9" power booster with a vacuum pump installed on my rig this week. It will have 10 psi residual pressure valves to the front and rear. The reason for the pump is because I will be installing a 236 degree duration @ .050 lift cam, and instead of a reserve tank, I opted to go with the pump. It pulls a steady 22" straight to the booster. My manual brakes were very hard/slow to stop. In retrospect I probably should've gone for discs, don't know what the cost would be, but I'm $1210.00 for parts and labor, it does include replacing all of my old brake lines too though.
regards..................freezeplug
regards..................freezeplug
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
From: Richmond VA
Disc vs Drum brakes
hi, freezeplug
if i am understanding you that seems like a lot for just the booster and lines. you can get front disk kit for 899.
if i am understanding you that seems like a lot for just the booster and lines. you can get front disk kit for 899.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,489
Likes: 5
From: Valley Center, CA
Disc vs Drum brakes
I vote for the fronts to be disks. I drive my stock 55 Fairlane to shows all the time. The stock drums do fade as the number of stops increase. I think it's just that the disks can diissapate the heat faster than the drums. Good luck, John
Thread Starter
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,242
Likes: 2
From: Bartlett, TN
Disc vs Drum brakes
I'll be driving to work some - a 40 mile round trip on Memphis' fine interstate loop! Road construction and all!! This is usually how my projects go - a rear brake job is turning into a major pile of work and money!!!