Here's the Speedway PN 916-31934 kit right out of the box-well, actually the bag.
Drum brakes aren't the pinnacle of technology, but ya gotta admit they sure do look good on a traditional-style hot rod.
I've run front drums on the majority of the cars and trucks I've built over the years, and I've been more than satisfied with both their performance and looks. Sure, there are more and more faux-drum disc brake setups available these days, and they're great because they offer much greater stopping force along with a cool traditional look. But for those of us with the urge or the necessity to build on a shoestring budget, early-style, self-energizing drums are the way to go.
One of the most popular and affordable drum brake donors, at least for me anyway, has for years been those from the early F-series Ford pickup. I've personally used assemblies from an '52 F-1 and '53-56 F-100s-in fact, the next project I've got in the wings (a Bruiser-bodied A-sedan) is another traditional-style rod that I'll actually be running the '52 F-1 drum brake assemblies on shown here.
I began the chore by wandering out to the driveway and stealing the brake assemblies off the '52 F-1 that had been waiting patiently for some attention over the last year or so.
A couple of the things I really like about this swap is that it allows me to retain the early 5-on-5-1/2-bolt circle so I can use early 16-inch steel wheels, and the 11x2 self-energizing design really does provide ample stopping power for a lightweight hot rod. Plus, I utilize the option of equipping the backing plate/hub/drum combo with mid-'60s F-100 shoes and hardware, making replacements a bit easier to come by.
Now this particular F-1/F-100 to '37-48 Ford spindle is by no means rocket science, but it's still relevant enough to revisit every now and then. As a matter of fact, I personally needed to revisit this subject-like many a bit of info I've squirreled away for future reference, the safe place I stored my crib notes of relevant bearing, race, and oil-seal part numbers needed for this simple swap must have been really safe because I've yet to find 'em. But all is not lost. Recently, while thumbing through one of my favorite hot rod parts sources (the Speedway Motors Street Rod Master Catalog), I gleefully discovered good ol' Speedy Bill had saved me hours of research by putting together and offering up an installation kit containing the bearings, races, and oil seals needed for the job all in one affordable package. The Speedway PN 916-31934 bearing kit allows you to install '53-56 F-100 11x2-inch drum brakes to '37-48 Ford car spindles (both original and aftermarket varieties), and I've also discovered they work with '52 F-1 drum brake and hub assemblies as well. So take a look at the following images to see just how easy a conversion this really is, and if you don't already have one handy, order up Speedway's 2007 Street Rod Master Catalog because it's chock-full of cool components and kits that'll save you a bunch of time, energy, and long green-believe me.
