Well Crap it needs it all!

-
Exactly what BillGrissom said.

If you were very nearby, I'd show you how to do 'em while doing them for you. I have a really weird fetish of sorts for brakes, whether drums or discs. I find it relaxing to work on them, and love the look of 100% all new brake parts. Hmmmmmm... I'm strange. I wish all mine weren't already rebuilt, I'd love another brake project! Anyway, my point is, they're easy to do, probably the easiest thing on the whole car actually, on an already easy to work on car.

By the way, the front drums you'll get probably won't have the hubs in them, so you'll have to put your old ones in. I'd recommend taking them to a CarQuest or NAPA if you have one near you and have them swapped... it won't cost much, then you can do the rest yourself.
 
Thanks for the advice and it makes sense the more I think about it.

Ordered the drums, wheel cylinders, shoes and a few other small things that the car needs last night.

Talked to a few guys at work about what I was thinking and they dont like the idea of cutting a 8.8 at all unless a shop was to do it. Makes sense I'd hate to have the thought if anything happened to be hanging out there.

So tomorrow I'm gonna call a shop or shops about pressing out the the long tube on a 8.8 and press in a second shorter tube. Then price out the assembly and gear work. Complicated as hell but it get me newer disc or drum brakes down the road with better parts availability and BBP as a side bonus. Figure out how much that's gonna run me then I can budget out front disc brakes also with the larger bolt pattern.
 
UPDATE.

Well I got all the parts in yesterday and after cleaning up some other things I started on the brakes.

Apparently I'm gonna have to replace everything up and probably including the Master cylinder cause it a tad crusty too.

Started on passenger front wheel and it started off easy enough until I started trying to to take anything apart. Twisted and snapped the line trying to get the rubber hose disconnected and had to snap the line to the wheel cylinder to get it free.

I have never messed with brake lines personally and I'm torn between having a shop doing the lines and paying $40 an hour + Parts vs trying to find someone local and for a case of beer or so have me help and hopefully learn the skill.

For the time being I have to removed parts soaking in vinegar and salt to derust and I'll prob paint/oil them when they come out.
 
If you can do the brake lines and brakes yourself it's better. I had a fiasco trying to get Big-o to gix mine because the cylinder in one wheel blew up and they were the closest thing I could roll to. $300 and two warranty jobs on their "work" later and it still doesn't brake right.

For that engine mount though, I did the whole thing in front of my shop with a jack, jackstand, and a couple wrenches. It was easy and cost me all of $7.00 for the mount. It took me an hour, and that included figuring out what I had to do. The driver's side is supposedly even easier. Good luck.



That's what the old one had become. If you have the slant you can kind of see if the engine mount needs to be replaced. Both are very visible.

 
Nomad8324 said:
UPDATE.



I have never messed with brake lines personally and I'm torn between having a shop doing the lines and paying $40 an hour + Parts vs trying to find someone local and for a case of beer or so have me help and hopefully learn the skill.

For the time being I have to removed parts soaking in vinegar and salt to derust and I'll prob paint/oil them when they come out.
Click to expand...

If you want, I'm just a PM away...
 
Nomad8324 said:
UPDATE. Well I got all the parts in yesterday and after cleaning up some other things I started on the brakes. Apparently I'm gonna have to replace everything up and probably including the Master cylinder cause it a tad crusty too. Started on passenger front wheel and it started off easy enough until I started trying to to take anything apart. Twisted and snapped the line trying to get the rubber hose disconnected and had to snap the line to the wheel cylinder to get it free. I have never messed with brake lines personally and I'm torn between having a shop doing the lines and paying $40 an hour + Parts vs trying to find someone local and for a case of beer or so have me help and hopefully learn the skill. For the time being I have to removed parts soaking in vinegar and salt to derust and I'll prob paint/oil them when they come out.
Click to expand...


You can order the correct brake lines that are prebent for your car through www.inlinetube.com or http://www.finelinesinc.com/. Both of them make a nice product and the cost isn't excessive. You can also get the lines in stainless steel.
 
I'm gonna take a stab it at later this week if the weather permits.

Probably gonna grab a 25' roll of Nickel Copper lines from the parts store for $50.

Never will I have to worry about rust again!

DSC00129_zps217e0bba.jpg
 
I would not use copper or aluminum hard lines. They can crack from use. I'd use pre bent Stainless steel lines. Or bend your own from pre flared steel lines at your Auto parts store and bend them with a tool. Put antiseize or wheel bearing grease between the nut and tube.
 
BillGrissom said:
Your 9" drum parts are very cheap and available. 10" rear drums are the hard part to find, but you don't have. 9" drums work fine for normal driving (drove 69 Dart with them for 3 decades). If you desire front disks, the Scarebird kit is affordable and easy to get parts later. Rear disks are just for show, rear drums work just as well. Any mechanic can work on drum brakes. They are the standard Bendix design used in a gazillion cars. But so could you. .
Click to expand...

I agree. No need to go crazy here. You don't need to change the rear end and suspension parts, and think you absolutely have to have 4 wheel disc brakes. The pulling you are experiencing can happen with drum brakes, sometimes they can be a little "grabby". Disc brakes are much more forgiving. There are factory service manuals available on this site for reference.

My first instinct was to go to Rockauto. Drums, shoes, hardware kits, etc. You may not need everything but if you have leakage from the wheel cylinders or rear axle seal, you'll have to fix that. Brake pads + oil = wheel lockup. If you want to upgrade, read here first.
http://www.moparaction.com/Tech/archive/disc-main.html
If this is not your everyday driver you can start accumulating parts to do one of these upgrades. No need for monstrously heavy 11" rear drums on an a-body. They'll decrease your gas mileage and actually slow you down when you are accelerating especially with a slanty.

I see you are in Ohio. Ha! rust city, I deal with it all the time. If you start replacing wheel cylinders don't be surprised to find that the brake lines will want to twist off with the fittings. Usually it turns into a domino effect.
 
Nomad8324 said:
UPDATE. Twisted and snapped the line trying to get the rubber hose disconnected and had to snap the line to the wheel cylinder to get it free. I have never messed with brake lines personally and I'm torn between having a shop doing the lines and paying $40 an hour + Parts vs trying to find someone local and for a case of beer or so have me help and hopefully learn the skill. For the time being I have to removed parts soaking in vinegar and salt to derust and I'll prob paint/oil them when they come out.
Click to expand...

OOOH. I hadn't read this before writing my last post. You can go to AutoZone and rent a line flaring tool for free. Or they have pre-made universal line that you bend yourself and the ends are already flared with fittings on them. Cheap too!
Do not be surprised by how many lines you end up replacing due to rust. Those guys in TX and CA gave no idea what we go through.

You didn't say what part of Ohio you are in. You could post that and maybe one of the guys could come over and get you going.
 
72Dodge said:
Unless you're looking for drapes for your Dart, here's the fine lines website: http://www.finelinesinc.com/ :glasses7:
Click to expand...

Today's worthless trivia:

I supplied Fine Lines with a complete set of brake lines AND fuel lines to use as patterns for the a-bodies way back when they were first starting out. (they are local) I had both drum brake and disc brake lines. Gave them the lines on the 8-3/4 rear end and even the K-H disc brake crossover lines. My 69 340 cuda has many children out there. :)

I told the guy be careful as Dodges typically have a longer wheel base than Plymouths and he gave me a look like I was from another planet.
 
Ill share a few things I learned while doing my 71 Rear drums.

The big shoe goes on the rear of the backing plate. (look the shoes over close, they are all different, Side to side and front to rear.)
Leave the E brake adjuster off the lower pin untill LAST. - just saw your on the fronts, I would still leave the adjuster till the end.
Clean and greas everything that moves with break grease.
Order the shoe retainer kit for 3.50, You may loose one or two...
You DO have a good break spring tool right?
I would not even try with out one, Seriously buy one if you dont have one..
4404BCE4-610A-4FA2-8419-3B2B9EC46F00-308-0000007D26D1893E_zps81aeb4a8.jpg


E2DBEA24-45D8-420F-AD13-8869FFCF2126-308-0000007D1E7CFF30_zps8b98b0f3.jpg


Total cost at local Scottish parts store, 86.00 USD. (front and rear parts)

Time half a day.

Oh yeah start soaking those hard lines NOW with PB Blaster...

It not that bad and u got a pick to look at and lots of folks willing to help.
Good luck and may all your hard line come free. (U may want to ask local parts.store to order a double flare union, just incase you shear a hard line...) Just saw you already broke a line. If you can dont rent tools if you can buy, If you must rent then yeah do the free rental with deposit. Think about where you want to install the union. ( it dont have to be at the break you can cut back more) I should have cut a few more inches off and hidden the union.
Use balling wire to mock up lines then bend your hard line to mock up section, This will save you lots of headache..
Do you have a decent line cutter, you will need one as well as the flaring tool and break spring tool.

Also break dust is toxic so try not to breath what you clean out of the backing plate...


Required tools, listed bottem to top in pick.

Break spring tool
Break adjusting tool. (you can mod a large flat head screwdriver into this)
Flaring tool
Line cutter.
658EE29D-E6B1-4417-B7F3-1AF4CD8E98D1-308-0000014F35FE944C_zps9364af73.jpg


I left the line wrenches out of the pick as they are not required but sure are nice..
 
Rockauto wholesale closeout is your friend when it comes to these small brake parts. You can literally get shoes, wheel cylinders, springs, self adjusters, hardware and all for like $50 or less. They all come out of the same warehouse so no expensive shipping costs.
 
Hey Nomad8324 any news on your brake project? I am in the exact same boat, trying to decide which way to go.

Did you get parts ordered and what did it cost you? Do you think it is really a weekend job seems like I am usually twice what it takes everyone else guess I am a slow worker :D

Thanks!!
 
I bought all the stainless lines for my valiant, dads t bird and my duster. Only way to go in my opinion. Never will rust, no different to tweak n adjust than the steel lines. Plus I plan on driving the wheels off my car rain or shine. The steel ones would have probably been fine for longer than im alive but, I'm picky.
 
How did the brake job go man? Being able to do drum brakes is a dying bread around my area. I've a couple places that "specialize" in brake jobs have signs that say "no drum brakes"...
 
Everything is on hold till thursday or friday for the moment. Weather is kinda wet at the moment and work eats up a large part of the day.

I may even do a complete article on how to completely redo the entire brake system (from a n00b perspective) and get pictures of everything.
 
Making some progress getting stuff tore apart to get final needed parts and start on replacing things.

Parts store swears that I should have 2 rear hoses and I only see 1.

Is there a second hose I'm missing?

Got all my jackstands tied up in the front atm so i can't jack the rear for a better look.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top