60 CDV front brake drums

Michael Petti · July 02, 2020, 10:59:01 AM

Does anyone know of a place to get front brake drums for a 1960 Cadillac. Mine are too worn to turn. I can find rears al over the place but fronts with the bearings seem to be unavailable. Am trying to keep car stock. Any help is appreciated
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Michael Petti · July 02, 2020, 11:58:44 AM

Is there a way to add the hub to a rear drum? I was looking at NAPA but their drum for front does not have the hub. is that a separate part? If it is where do I get that? Every drum i see is a slip on. I am confused?

Lexi · July 02, 2020, 01:32:45 PM

Hopefully, here is some helpful information. Also, here are two Ebay listings (one minus hub). The first one contains some interesting comments in the product description. I don't have experience working on 1960 Cadillac brakes, but as the Ebay vendor noted this is a one year only Caddy part. I checked my Master Parts List, which seems to confirm this. The MPL lists a part number 147 3818 (with bearing cups) for the "Brake Drum And Hub Assembly Front" for a 1960 Cadillac, and it was a stand alone part. The number did not cross reference with any other year of Cadillac. I know knock offs are available for my mid fifties Cad, but they are minus the hub assembly as well. My assumption is that a trip to the machine shop is necessary to remove the old hub and then attach to the repro replacement drum. I stand to be corrected on this, but if so that makes for an expensive job. Has anyone out there done this, and if so what was the cost? Is this a job most machine shops can handle? The front drums always seem to be tougher to find as turnable originals probably because they wear faster, thus fewer examples survive. Can't say I have seen replacement hubs for sale that were new, but perhaps someone can chime in to correct and/or note that other available GM parts can fit to work. Clay/Lexi

Edit: The second link is for a complete front drum/hub assembly that is for sale.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1960-Cadillac-DeVille-Series-62-Eldorado-OEM-Brake-Drum-ONE-YEAR-FIT/202994005792?hash=item2f4362b720:g:ePwAAOSwJ9RewTF9

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1960-CADILLAC-DEVILLE-FRONT-HUB-AND-DRUM/264176985847?hash=item3d822ce6f7:g:vtUAAOSw~2VcVd3K

Michael Petti · July 02, 2020, 01:56:44 PM

I saw in a 13 year old post that 57 thru 59 drums might work. Is there a way to take the hub off the drum and put it on a reproduction rear drum?

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96 · July 02, 2020, 02:14:16 PM

Guys,
Here's what I remember. Cadillac sold hub & drums together. 60 was the first year for tapered roller bearings. Hence, one year in the MPL. I think you can use the earlier hub & drums by removing the ball bearings & replacing them with the tapered rollers.
Bob

Michael Petti · July 02, 2020, 02:50:30 PM

Is there anyone else out there that has had success doing this?

The Tassie Devil(le) · July 02, 2020, 08:55:40 PM

When I found my '60 had a cracked front drum, back in 1990 I looked everywhere to buy a new replacement, and there was none available, anywhere, so I had to settle for a used one.

The rear drums will not interchange, so I think you will have to keep on looking.

Surely someone has a replacement drum they can spare.

Bruce.

PS. The market won't bother to tool up for these replacements as there is not the required profit versus expense.

Lexi · July 03, 2020, 12:05:12 AM

Just out of curiosity, am I correct in remembering that many, many years ago there was the odd place that claimed to be able to "sleeve" a drum, then turn it to spec? If not, could this type of part be metal sprayed and turned or is deformation from heat too much of a factor for this technique to be used in this instance? Clay/Lexi

Caddyholic · July 03, 2020, 12:29:51 AM

The drums come off the hub I think they are just tack welded on. Any auto parts store can get the drums. Rock auto has them.

The Tassie Devil(le) · July 03, 2020, 03:21:16 AM

Firstly no tack-welding of the drums to the hub. It is the wheel studs which are crimped when installing them that retain the drum.

If there is any tack welds present, then there has been a problem, and a repair that was done by someone who hasn't a clue as to what they are doing.

As for sleeving a brake drum, I wouldn't want to be riding in that car.

Plus, Rock Auto indicates that from one supplier, the fronts interchange with the back, and the other supplier only lists the back.

From remembering back to mine, the front and rear drums are different.

As can be seen from the pictures, the front and rear drums are a totally different castings, and the off-set appears to be different, but the Shop Manual shows the actual swept area and widths are the same for the shoes.

Bruce.

Roger Zimmermann · July 03, 2020, 05:10:51 AM

I'm not sure, Bruce, you may have the wrong front drums. Why put cooling fins on a rear drum when the front ones are doing the most effort? I'm not at home for the moment, but I'm at 99% sure that the 60 front drums have the same look as the rear ones.

The Tassie Devil(le) · July 03, 2020, 07:47:52 AM

G'day Roger,

Well, it may be so, but those were on my '60 CDV when I purchased it in 1990, and as the car had been repainted, reupholstered, converted to RHD, plus the engine and Transmission changed to a 454 and TH400, anything could have been done.

But, these pictures are from a 1060 Convertible that came from Queensland, and is now living in Victoria, and I had a chance to work on the brakes when the car was on holiday in Tasmania in 2017, and even though I didn't especially picture the drums, as I was working on the actual brakes, they show what looks exactly the same as on my own '60 CDV.

The last picture is the wheel on the front hub and drum, and there are no cooling fins, as is on the rear.

Bruce.

PS. The owner sent me the picture of the front wheel missing from the left front after the wheel separated from the car and went off into the wilderness, resulting in the fender damage and the car coming to rest on three wheels.

Roger Zimmermann · July 03, 2020, 08:54:38 AM

Bruce, I will check that when I'm home early next week. I'm doing sometimes errors!

The Tassie Devil(le) · July 03, 2020, 09:51:43 PM

Quote from: Roger Zimmermann on July 03, 2020, 08:54:38 AM
Bruce, I will check that when I'm home early next week. I'm doing sometimes errors!

Roger,

I hope you meant to write "Errands" instead of "errors"?

Bruce.

Michael Petti · July 04, 2020, 06:57:15 AM

On my car the front drums have no fins. I think it was Buick that started with finned drums. As it stands now, I am getting new drums and will detach the hubs containing the bearings to the new drums. Whether we use aftermarket drums or good used ones remains to be seen.

The Tassie Devil(le) · July 04, 2020, 07:36:55 AM

When you go to detatch the drums from the hubs, check how they are secured in place.

You might need a special tool to free the studs before driving them out.

I thought I had a picture of it, but will keep on looking.

Bruce.

russ austin · July 04, 2020, 10:21:10 AM

I press the drum off the hub all the time. The wheel stud is crimped to hold it on. A rear drum will work also.

Michael Petti · July 04, 2020, 01:56:46 PM

Great to know about the rear drum working. They are all over the place. The fronts are rare as hens teeth. Thanks

Michael Petti · July 06, 2020, 05:37:33 PM

Does anyone think a 58 or 59 drum with the 1960 hub would work? This is getting crazy.

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60 CDV front brake drums