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I am checking locally and may be lucky enough to have found one, but as of this moment, looking for 2 (legal ones).

QUESTION: The current drums I got last year that were on a car with perhaps 40k miles (could have been 140k. I had these drums turned and reinstalled.

Now they are scored, but the shop says they measured them and not only do they not have enough material to turn to remove the scoring, but they don't have enough material to put back on the car scored, which means they didn't have enough material to be legal after they were turned last year.

I'm wondering in the shop is going by modern specs and not old car specs. Those drums which take 2-1/4 wide lining are heavy duty. Where can I find the spec on worn drums for any of the following:

EDITED FROM ORIG POST
Part #333931
1940
1804 5-pass touring sedan
1807 5-pass touring or formal sedan
1808 7-pass touring sedan or limo?

1939
1703 Super 8

1941
1904 5-pass touring sedan
1907 5-pass touring or formal sedan
1908 7-pass touring sedan or limo?

I found the answer. It's supposed to be stamped on the brake drum as either the maximum diameter or the minimum thickness. If the shop read it right, I need new brake drums.

I just love talking to myself because I am so interesting. Turns out Packard Didn't stamp the tolerances on prewar brake drums. They cast a number on the hub, but this number is not the part number of the hub and drum assembly.

So the rule is, whatever the original inside diameter of the drum, in my case 12", turning these .10" over to 12.100 is the maximum legal limit. A shop is not allowed to mount drums over that or they may be liable if there is an accident due to brake failure.

And when they are under that maximum, a minimum of .030" should be left because the shoes will wear that much.

It might be tough to find the above hub/drum assemblies NOS. If you can find the correct hub, in my case with large axles 311.81, and a drum of the correct inside diameter (12") and depth (2-1/2"), they can be riveted together.

So a set of two rear hub/drum assemblies (#333931) machined to 12.040, 2 wheel cylinders, 4 riveted brake shoes, springs, washers are coming from Jeff Adkins, Moose Motors, Pengrove CA. Moose specializes in brake parts for all older cars, especially Packards, with many other parts for Packard. The shop should have them early next week.

Joe, It only seems that you're talking to yourself but in reality your posts are bing read, at least by me! There have been times when I've found old posts with no replies but they contained very useful information so never a waste.

Same here, I have been reading yours and everyone else but no comments since I don't know anything about brakes hubs. I just hate it when I see people inputing comments and they really don't know what they're talking about. Just keep up the good work, and watch those VIEW numbers to see if anyone is looking. I'm also learning a little something from your post, thanks!
Wes
P.S. I noticed that you are having the Bake Bands riveted on, I saw an article in Popular Mech. that gluing was better. Just wondering?

Wes, I had my 4 spare shoes relined by FleetPride last week for $121. They were pretty crusty and they had to clean them up first. They used glued lining. My previous shoes, the ones that wore out, were riveted.

Fortunately only one drum was scored by the rivets, but it was deep and unusable.

I am surprised I didn't hear anything when applying the brakes. The passenger side is ok and still had a little lining. I'll keep this drum as a back up, but it is at 12.060 and can't be turned beyond that (because another .030 from wear would put it at the limit).

Jeff told me the material and glued lining is not nearly as substantial as the riveted material, so he is sending 4 new riveted shoes with the stronger material that grabs better, closer to the original with the drums.

But I wonder, had I had glued linings, I might have heard a lot more noise when the material wore out and been able to save that drum.

Brakes are pretty important and with the amount of driving I do and anticipate again this year, I decided to get these in top condition with new cylinders and springs, too.

Originally the shoes were riveted but bonding is the best way to go today for the very reason you just discovered the hard way. Also, I've always preferred to use softer linings as I would much prefer to wear out the shoes than to wear the drums as some of the modern metalized lining can do.

I don't know if it applies to Packard or not but once the brakes went out on my 1964 Ghia-Imperial limousine on the way to work so I dropped it off at the local gas station. They could not locate front drums but they discovered that the rear drums, which tend to wear less, were to be found in a local salvage yard. Simply switching the rear hub with the front hub produced a good pair of front drums! Maybe Packard hubs aren't so easily removable, though.

Yes, Don. The second drum is being made up that way. A hub and drum riveted or welded together, however it's done.

Braking is really important, especially when new cars can stop so much faster, so I'm going with the better material, riveted. In another 30K miles or so I'll have the glue-lined shoes handy if I can't get riveted ones then.

Of course I'll be paying much closer attention to what's going on with my brakes in the future.

I have often wondered if the rear drums need to be riveted to the hubs. It seems to me the lug bolts would secure the drum-hub assembly together. Also, with this, removing the drum-hub assembly to do brake work would not be needed. Just remove the drum from the hub and leave the hub in place. This would be akin to the design of the flanged axles with removable drums. Just thinking...