Rear brake uncertainty

When the car was converted to disc brakes, the rear axle was changed to 8 3/4 with the big bolt pattern to match the disc front brakes. So a new axle housing and axles were installed. This means the 2 1/2 brake drums (actually 3 inches across the braking area) were needed to fit the bolt pattern. Where the problem (for me) came in, the converter merely transferred the 1 3/4 backing plate, hardware and shoes onto the new axle housing. When new hardware and shoes was ordered to fit the 2 1/2 brakes, all was OK from an inspection point of view. The hardware kit and wheel cylinder has the same part number for both brake sizes. The difference is that the backing plate for the big bolt pattern brakes has extended stand-offs to move the wheel cylinder outward by 3/8 inch to center the shoes. The wide shoes do not work without the standoffs.

So we went back to the 1 3/4 shoes, not using the outer 3/4 inch of the drum. No big deal - without a brake proportioning valve, the 1 3/4 brakes would lock up anyway under heavy braking. The *** end of a Barracuda convertible is so light you could probably use tennis shoes as a braking medium and get by under normal use.

So a proportioning valve and a full tank of non-ethanol premium to keep the *** end down, and some practice on threshold braking and I'm all set.

Thanks for your attention.

Tom