78 South American brake drums/shoes (1 Viewer)

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Hey all, hoping for some help here… Trying to replace the worn out drums and shoes on my 78 40. Does anyone have a resource where I might find the correct size? They are different than the size readily found on cruiser corps website for a 78.

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Your supposed to measure the ID of the drum. Idk, a source for shoes, but i do recall some models had wider shoes. Cruiser Outfitters may be able to answer your questions.
 
Picture #1 has max row 297mm cast into it, at about 1:00 o'clock. Check to confirm the replacement is equivalent.

AFAIK, FJ40 brake shoes are 2 1/2 inches wide. What are yours?

The differences in the outside profile has no bearing on braking performance.
 
Your tool is supposed measure the drums ID. The tool helps determine if they're in spec and designed to help with initial adjustment. The part that has the points pointing out measures the inside of the drum. You use the other side of the tool with the flats to help adjust the shoes out to the drum id. This will get the shoes close to the ID of the drum for proper adjustment. Then install the drum and adjust to a slight even drag if necessary. Then adjust the other side to a similar drag.
 
Your tool is supposed measure the drums ID. The tool helps determine if they're in spec and designed to help with initial adjustment. The part that has the points pointing out measures the inside of the drum. You use the other side of the tool with the flats to help adjust the shoes out to the drum id. This will get the shoes close to the ID of the drum for proper adjustment. Then install the drum and adjust to a slight even drag if necessary. Then adjust the other side to a similar drag.

Your tool is supposed measure the drums ID. The tool helps determine if they're in spec and designed to help with initial adjustment. The part that has the points pointing out measures the inside of the drum. You use the other side of the tool with the flats to help adjust the shoes out to the drum id. This will get the shoes close to the ID of the drum for proper adjustment. Then install the drum and adjust to a slight even drag if necessary. Then adjust the other side to a similar drag.

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Your supposed to measure the ID of the drum. Idk, a source for shoes, but i do recall some models had wider shoes. Cruiser Outfitters may be able to answer your questions.

I know around 1975 some markets got a wider shoes. The drums had cooling fins. I see the kit with four brake shoes the same 3/69-7/80. Shoes were the same even earlier than 3/69. 8/80 rear drum brakes changed to a single wheel cylinder and self adjusting. Drums were the same as the shoes. Never heard anything about special brakes on a 78 in the US market.
 
Well the last pic confirms you are indeed beyond the 297mm max dia.
Is there a specific feature and/or dimension of the new drum that differs from the used drum ?
Did you slide it on and it wont seat on the axle flange ? Does it leave exposed brake shoe when seated on flange ? does it hit backing plate before seating on axle flange ?
You may have to compress the wheel cyl plunger a bit to get the shoes in enough to get new drum on, usually the adjuster can move them far enough but I have had them so expanded for so long that the plungers didnt want to go back in far enough, had to disassemble the wheel cyl and clean bore, reset shoes in far enough to get new drum to slide over.
 
What market in South America. Brazil has their own model. Venezuela used Dana rear axles. 78 did not have self adjusting brakes like the 8/80+ 40 series new 60 series and 70 series starting 11/84. If you have a 8/80+ Land Cruiser rear axle parts are pretty universal thru 1980s.

Shortly after I found a deal on some 1966 axles with Lock Right lockers installed. When I picked them up he gave me backing plates out of a FJ60 rear axle. Believe he thought that would fit the 66 rear axle. The drums and shoes are universal to semi floating, full floating with or without hand brakes. 40, 60 and 70.series.
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To my knowledge the finned drums the shoes were around an inch wider. Believe these were all full floaters in the rear axle and mated to like drum axles on the front.
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Still interested in the OP rear axle? One picture looks like a 8/80 (81 model) axle. Never seen any listing showing those used on any 1978 40 series.

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Living is hoarding all the good disc & FF axles.

The one with the huge brakes in the front is in Australia. I had no use for that axle. I do have the 8/80 rear axle behind it but it's still in Australia. That large drum rear full floating axle was sold a few years back. As for that disc brake axle that may very well be off an 84 mini truck.
 
To my knowledge the finned drums the shoes were around an inch wider. Believe these were all full floaters in the rear axle and mated to like drum axles on the front.
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Still interested in the OP rear axle? One picture looks like a 8/80 (81 model) axle. Never seen any listing showing those used on any 1978 40 series.

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The finned big brakes were found on our African spec J45's but with semi-float rears too. Backing plates differ too between the wide and narrower drums.
 
The finned big brakes were found on our African spec J45's but with semi-float rears too. Backing plates differ too between the wide and narrower drums.

Was the difference in the backing plates on the rear is using eight bolts on wide with cooling fins and only six the narrower drums?
 
Was the difference in the backing plates on the rear is using eight bolts on wide with cooling fins and only six the narrower drums?
No, bolt holes, pattern and quantities are the same and the brake unit as a whole can be interchanged to the narrow style. All hardware also interchanges, including the slave cylinders although the bore often is different for the bigger brakes (to create the correct bias).

The main difference is the "backspacing" on the backing plate which accommodates the wider drums. Hope this makes sense.
 

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