Inherited Dad's car that was my Grandpa's. Drums rusted in place. Was surprised to learn about the front hub built in to drum. I cleaned them up and I do not think the hub is press fit. It seems to be integral. If it is press fit, I cannot tell. Anyone know about these? I hear mention that not all are press fit, but which ones? Mine are numbered L-36283-R.

The drums are pretty rusted and was going to replace, but not really finding suitable aftermarket and NOS or OEm drums are not easy to come by. I certainly want to save the front drum and hub given the unique design. Besides being a bit rusty, the drums seem fine. Low mileage car and never turned. I was planning on getting them checked and possibly turned, rotary wire brush and sanding disc on angle grinder followed by an overnight dip in evaporust and then high temp pain. Clean the wheel backing plate and rebuild brakes. Any advice?

 

If you get them turned try to find a shop that understands and appreciates classic cars and that these drums are rare. They should be skim cut removing the absolute minimum amount of material necessary. Ideally they should also be as close as possible, the same ID as each other once resurfaced. This keeps the contact area uniform between the two sides of the car and reduces brake pull to one side.

Good luck!!!

 

Yeah, that has been a challenge. Most of the shops I talked to that offered turning weren't confidence inspiring. One guy said "don't be cheap - brakes are life and death, just get new drums".

 

That's the place you DON'T want to take your stuff.
Try to find an "old timer " who has some experience on this type of vehicle.
The loose rust should be sanded off and then the drum should be measured with a drum micrometer.
If they measure 11.090 inches or more inside diameter then they should be discarded.
If they clean up at 11.090 or less inside diameter then you will be fine.

The hub and drum can be separated, but usually only with the aid of an arbor press.
Unless you are replacing the drum, keep them together when machining.


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Check with restoration shops to see who they use. Hope for a retired guy that still has a lathe. Ask a tool dealer who buys lathe parts like cutting tips from them.

Good luck!!!

 

The front drums are not "integral" with the hubs. The wheel studs are pressed in and hold the drum to the hub. You need to press the wheel studs out FIRST before trying to separate the drum from the hub. If you are just having the drums turned, it is not necessary to separate them from the hubs. Few shops these days know how to properly turn drums, and most will just tell you to get new ones because they are lazy. New drums are NOT readily available for the 65-70 Olds full size cars, and the ones that are available are imported and not exactly like the originals. Find a competent shop that really understands these cars. You don't want some moron to screw up your unobtanium parts.

 

Are the wheel studs swedged? Can they just be pressed out without damaging the hub?

I'd prefer to resurface the drums using the bearings instead of the hole in the drum anyway, seems easier to center the drum accurately.

 

Yes they are swaged, and yes, it's better to turn the drum with the hub attached.