brake drum differences

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xnoahx
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Location: Venutra, CA

brake drum differences

#1

Post by xnoahx »

My brake drum seems to be dragging a little in some parts and is all around pretty worn out. I want to replace it but I am not sure which one I have on there now. The bike is a 64 but the backing plate for the rear drum is the 58-62 style. Is there a way to tell which drum I have? were there different widths or is the 63-66 style not compatable with the setup I have.
Robert Luland
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Re: brake drum differences

#2

Post by Robert Luland »

Here's something I posted on the AMCA site a few months back. If you need exact measurments. Ask. Bob


Well folks you're in luck. I have spent the last four months beating my head upside a wall to figure this whole riddle out. Just this past week end I got the final answer, so here goes. Early 58 takes the same old ridged sprocket. Mid 58-59 takes the #41470-58. This sprocket is very similar to the ridged one. It's easy to mix them up on just sight. Now the meat of all this, 60-61. The 62 and up sprocket is identical to the 60-61. The only reason for the change in the number as far as I can tell is the rivets. All the rivets are 3/16" on 62 were the 60-61 still had 1/8" rivets with a 3/16" indexing rivet. I took a sprocket off a 62 and up drum this past weekend and it fit the 60-61 like a glove. You would just have to increase the rivet hole size and your good to go. In Bruce's book he makes reference to the 62 and later having a stamped number instead of a raised casted number. I don't know where he got that drum but the two 62 and up I got here have raised casted numbers. There's no mistaking the 62 and up drum. It has the higher lip on it to facilitate the wider brake shoes. The 60-61 backing plate sits into the drum were the 62- sits on the outside.
Now just when you think it can't get any better! There's more!
The 60-61 and 62 and up brake drums are the same casting #41409-58A. The 60-61 started life as a 62 and up. I can only figure that the motor company was just not ready at the time to make the switch to the wide shoes. So they machined down the 62 lip from .3145 to .1230 and machined a lip into the drum approximately 1/16" deep X .2770 in depth to continue using the mid 58 to 61 backing plate. If you got a 62 drum in good shape, it will only take a half an hour in the lathe to make it a 60-61. Providing you already have a turning arbor for it. Your local cycle shop could do this for you very easily.
xnoahx
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Posts: 71
Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2005 5:02 pm
Location: Venutra, CA

Re: brake drum differences

#3

Post by xnoahx »

Thanks for that reply. Lots of technical info that unfortunately has me scratching my head a little. I pulled my drum off and took some pictures. For reference, the brake shoes are 1 5/16" wide
IMG_5862.jpg
IMG_5863.jpg
IMG_5864.jpg
IMG_5866.jpg
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Robert Luland
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Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2007 7:56 pm
Bikes: 1922 J, 1922 JD, 1937 ULH, 1946FL 1948FL, 1957FL, 1960FLH, 1965XLCH, 1995 FLHT
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Re: brake drum differences

#4

Post by Robert Luland »

Thats 60-61. The brake plate sits into the drum. Before ya start condeming the brake on the dragging thing, check you hub bearing play both ways. Bob L
xnoahx
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Location: Venutra, CA

Re: brake drum differences

#5

Post by xnoahx »

Thanks for the answer
Munkybarz
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Re: brake drum differences

#6

Post by Munkybarz »

Just saw this now, thanks so much for the info and clarification!
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