Rear brake options 521

[d510addict]

As the title states I am looking for some rear brake options for my 521. My rear drums are fairly warped and even after setting everything my rears fade out to crap after a week and need readjusting. I know of beebanis rear disc swap but its on the spendy side and it would mean a lot of dinking around trying to get proportioning proper and all that. Are there swaps to upgrade to newer style drums? My only other option an axle swap? Self adjusting drums would be sweet but is an option like that even worth attempting over the disc setups?

[laotsu]

buy new drums?

[d510addict]

I was under the impression that they are NLA, ill check rock auto.

 

Edited because I suck dix

 

I guess my question changes to raybesto professional grade or centric? The centric seem to have slightly different dimensions but I prefer quality and $60 for a pair is affordable to me, would it be reasonable to trust that RockAuto is correct and the Raybestos part # is truely for a 521?

[flatcat19]

Centric.

[yello620]

My Raybestos catalog list the rear drum for a 69 to be a 9110.

 

Hope that helps. 

[datzenmike]

620 and 720 drums are also 10" but probably won't work with the 521 shoes and backing plate. Around late '82 the 720 went to self adjusting rears. Possibly 720 backing plates and all the hardware might fit the 521. Unfortunately the complete 720 axle is an inch and a half wider on both sides?

[d510addict]

So a full axle/rearend swap would mean narrowing the axle, I've never had my backing plates off on the rear what do they bolt to?

[DanielC]

There is a rectangular flange on the ends of the axle housing.  The backing plate, bearing, ETC. bolt to the axle housing.  that just needs to be shortened, and made square again.

The axle on the other hand needs to be shortened also.  This piece is machined, then probably heat treated, to be used.  there has to be enough material to machine it to a shorter dimension.

 

I believe 521 drums are still available.  I think you can use a 620 drum, dimensions are the same, but instead of inches, the measurements are Metric.

New shoes, in a new drum need to wear into each other.  Since a 521 brakes are not self adjusting, you need to do this, a lot at first.  What happens is this.  High spots on the shoes, and drum get worn down rapidly, and the brakes need to be readjusted to take up the slop.  If you do this often, eventually you get the whole shoe making contact with the drum, and wear gets spread out over the whole shoe, and you do not need to adjust the brakes as often.  But you still need to adjust the brakes.  Just put it on the list of things to do when changing the engine oil and filter.

[d510addict]

Oh well, I guess il go the route of new drums and shoes. Less finicky brakes would be nice though.

[banzai510(hainz)]

jUST BUY THEM/

TRY PARTSTRAIN.com ALSO i THINK i SEEN THEM LISTED THERE.

 

most are chinese made

 

the rear usually lock up first anyway just most weight is in the front and adjust the brakes should be fine.

 

if you think you need better brakes put them in the front as 80% of the stopping is there.

 

or get your drums turned as its cheaper.

 

ps get some antiseize to run on the surface where they mate so next time you get drums off ezer.

 

I use a weed torch to heat drums to help pop them off. It was a son abith to get off as they didnt have jacking screw holes.

[laotsu]

jUST BUY THEM/TRY PARTSTRAIN.com ALSO i THINK i SEEN THEM LISTED THERE.most are chinese madethe rear usually lock up first anyway just most weight is in the front and adjust the brakes should be fine.if you think you need better brakes put them in the front as 80% of the stopping is there.or get your drums turned as its cheaper.ps get some antiseize to run on the surface where they mate so next time you get drums off ezer.I use a weed torch to heat drums to help pop them off. It was a son abith to get off as they didnt have jacking screw holes.

yeah mine are stuck right now.

[d510addict]

Sunlover helped me pull my drums when I had to work on them last. Boy were they stuck, too some serious work to get them off.

[DanielC]

The last 521 I bought, this one, http://community.ratsun.net/topic/52124-my-dragon-2-datsun-521/

had these brake drums on it.

This is not a stock 521 brake drum.  But is does have the two holes you thread a bolt in to to push the brake drum off. 

Does anyone know what this brake drum is off of?  Is it just a generic brake drum for Datsun pickups?

[d510addict]

Mine def do not have holes like that, woulbe nice though.

[laotsu]

I have heard of 510 drums having them... could be those?

[highdesertdatsun]

I bought new 620 drums for my 520 at Autozone. They had new spring kits

Too. No adjusters though but you can clean them up good and lube with brake grease

Not too much and readjust every week like DanielC described for 10k . My brakes

Don't work bad . I need to readjust now. It sucks with lowering blocks ha ha.

[banzai510(hainz)]

the drums are not that hard.

You can make jacking screw holes if you mock it up first. get a drill tap and the bolts and then save them then coat the threads with anti seize so they dont rust up.

 

key is also antiseize the mating surface also. this will help keep the drums from rusting and stick on the axle