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Re: [GMCnet] Supplemental brake systems, kenH [message #244650 is a reply to message #244643] Sat, 22 March 2014 09:58 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
corleyw is currently offline  corleyw   United States
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Registered: June 2007
Location: Battle Ground, WA
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mikethebike wrote on Sat, 22 March 2014 06:13

Comparing Model-A mechanical brakes to hydraulic, late model discs and then using this as an argument for converting a GMC hydraulic disc/drum to all disc is not really the best argument. After riding Harley-davidson Sportsters with mechanical drum front and rear from 1965 until 1973, I can say with a good degree of certainty that the two systems are light years apart.

I can also say with the same amount of certainty that two of my very best friends over the past 55 years built three of the worlds best 1932 Fords. A roadster, a 3-window and a 4-door. The 4-door that Jody Garland built back in 1973 in Burlington, NC had full Jag suspension and 4-wheel disc with inboard mounted rear discs. The 3-window that Randy Nash built in Columbia, SC is a disc brake car and the Roadster Randy built was a drum brake car. All of these cars were get-up-and-go street rods with a 351 Ford in the 4-door and both of Randy's 32's have GM 430 hp SBC (Chevy built 430 of these and numbered them) Randy had #430 in the coupe. The Duece Roadster was a 12 sec flat 1/4 car and would stop RIGHT NOW with the drums and pedal feel was the best I'd seen in years.

Do drums require more work? Yes. Personally, I hate working on them, but the GMC only needs adjusting once a year.

Will drums make as many repeated consecutive high speed stops without overheating as a set of discs will? No. But I'm not running like that in the GMC.

I am in agreement with JB on this. If you want to convert your GMC, by all means do. But I fail to see how, under normal driving conditions, it would be worth the time, expense, trouble.


corleyw wrote on Sat, 22 March 2014 08:39

I have a model A Ford, which came with mechanical brakes. When new and in proper adjustment, they work OK, for about 1000 miles, then you get to adjust and fiddle with them if you want to stop. In short, they are unsafe.

A lot of the model A guys switch to hydraulic brakes (probably over half of them), using a variety of old OEM and after market parts. This update makes the model A safe in stop situations. I've NEVER heard of ANY situation, where this upgrade was taken into consideration by any insurance carrier, or where a claim was denied payment because of it. The MAFCA model A club is very big on alerting it's members to this sort of thing, and they have NEVER mentioned an insurance problem due to this update.

I think this is strong evidence that the insurers either consider the updated brakes a plus, or don't care, or don't have the knowledge to even know you have done it.

Just my opinion...

Now as to Jim B.'s recent tirade on this, he has probably single handedly modified more coaches than any other living person. He pushes all sorts of products that are modifications. Hec, he will only install a Manny Tranny (425 trans that Manny has modified) in our coaches! I think his real deal must be that this is
BRAKES
But, unfortunately, on this one, he has it wrong. Better brakes make for a safer coach. He has done so much for this GMC community, it's a shame he has resorted to these tirades, but that is just my opinion. And now, I have to go "change my oil".

JUST MY OPINION, NOTHING MORE!

Speaking of insurance, has anyone investigated using assigned value classic vehicle insurance on the GMCs? (Like Hagerdy, J.C.Taylor, etc.) It is MUCH cheaper on my collector cars...




Mike,

It seems pretty obvious to me that you did not know that '32 Fords came out with MECHANICAL brakes, not HYDRAULIC brakes. If your good buddies had used the original MECHANICAL brakes, they would never be able to stop those cars. Virtually ALL hot rods build around any Ford older than 1940, use upgraded hydraulic brakes NOW, (disk OR drum), in order to make them safe, as originally they had mechanical brakes which were definitely not up to the task with todays speeds and power.

The point is not drum vs disk, it's upgrade or not, does the insurance co. care. A brake upgrade is a brake upgrade, regardless of what hardware is used, or on what vehicle, it's still a brake upgrade. I think that you have perhaps missed the point of my epistle. Perhaps... Very Happy

Mike, you said, "But I fail to see how, under normal driving conditions, it would be worth the time, expense, trouble." It took me one afternoon and less than $150 for parts to install larger bore calipers on the front and larger bore middle wheel cylinders, and it made a WORLD of difference in stopping power. For ME, it certainly was worth it.

But that's just me, I just hope you don't follow me too close! HA! Laughing


Corley '76 Glenbrook 29 other vehicles

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