Hello. Looking for some information on swapping 11" rear drum brakes onto my 72 skylark. I have found a post on chevelle tech ( also an abody car) on swapping 11' drums. Certainly a lot less expensive than a rear disc conversion , by a longshot !! Should be relatively inexpensive , provided I can find the backing plates in a salvage yard, rotors are brand new for $30-$40 each , pads for $20 , and new hardware for $10-$12. I think the wheel cylinders are larger ( probably get those new as well ) Since my master cylinder is set up for 4 drums, there shouldn't be any necessity to change this.. I wonder if another proportioning valve will be necessary ? I'll have my parking brake and better stopping power, since logically there's more surface area for stopping. Anyone out there ever done a 11" rear rotor conversion. Another bonus is of course is that it should be a bolt-on proposition , with the 5 x 4 3/4" bolt pattern. Any thoughts ?
Are you talking rear 11" drums or rotors (rotors would be disc brakes) If your talking 11" drums for the rear, I would think the rear brakes would be more prone to locking up before the fronts, not the best braking scenario, as theres less weight in the rear. The advantage to discs is there is less brake fade. The stock rear drum brakes can/will lock up in a panic stop, so I doubt theres much advantage going to larger drums.
