Front suspension progress

[Mopar5]

Just wanted to post a few pics of my progress

[PLUM72]

It's a bold choice for putting drums brakes back on the front of the car.  Hopefully it's more of a show car than a driver.  Newer cars today brake quickly and there are too many idiots on the road.  I'd choose disc on the front just for the extra margin of safety.

[anlauto]

Details look great ! I love seeing people going back 100% stock, drum brakes and all !

I like to think of myself as a seasoned veteran, but I've never seen the masking tape trick on the brake linings...I can't count the number of times I get those little splinters in my hands when handling those parts.....GREAT IDEA

[RUNCHARGER]

My last two real Hemi cars had 11 inch drum brakes and stopped just fine. Repeated stops they will fade but if in good condition with good lining and adjusted properly they work perfectly fine.

[Mopar5]

My intention with this car is to try to get it as close to stock as possible from the day it rolled out of the factory. Not for any show purposes just for nostalgia.

[70 Challenger Lover]

Looks fantastic!

I've always been a disc brake fan myself but a recent car I bought has drums on it and I too want to keep it as original as possible. It stops great so my lack of confidence in old drum brake cars has probably been misplaced.

I think drums can be fine if properly adjusted, not used in the rain or in racing applications, and if you drive with a little extra care. I add a little following distance and start braking a bit earlier when coming up to a stop or getting off the freeway.

[1 Wild R/T]

Those who are fans of drum brakes, do yourself  a favor, go find a deserted area of highway, take your car up to 80+ mph & try to stop..... After that you'll never go 80 + again in that car... Like Sheldon said, the first stop at normal speeds they are fine, just don't try repeated stops cause the second one will take longer & the third will be longer still.. But the first stop from 80+ will really get your attention....

Beyond that the car looks great, just remember to go back & put a wrench on every bolt one more time to be safe...

[Gary AAR]

Just curious what finish (rust protection) you used on the upper control arm, lower control arm, and brake backing plate.

[anlauto]

How often do we drive our restored cars at 80 mph+ ?

[JS29]

How often do we drive our restored cars at 80 mph+ ?

Once in a while, 75 is more like it. 

[1 Wild R/T]

How often do we drive our restored cars at 80 mph+ ?

More often then you would believe....  My friends & I's cars may be very nice but they aren't show poodles, they get driven....  Coming home from Mopar's at the Strip years ago I-15 was bumper to bumper rolling along in excess of 95 MPH, both lanes.. If you tried running @ 70 you'd get run over....  Gotta go with the flow or die...

[Mopar5]

The finish on the upper and lower control arms and spindles is argent silver basecoat and then clear coated. Single stage might be a better choice but I have a lot of extra clear I want to use up. The backing plates I degreased and derusted then acid etch primer then a few coats of semi gloss black rustoleum. Lower ball joints are cast iron gray Seymours rattle can.

[340challconvert]

Just curious what finish (rust protection) you used on the upper control arm, lower control arm, and brake backing plate.

This is how my LCA's turned out; eastwood rust encapsulator first after cleaning, then sprayed eastwood epoxy, and finished them off with Rustoleum grey.

[Chryco Psycho]

I will never run front drums again , I prefer the 11.7" Cordoba discs

[70 Challenger Lover]

There's no doubt that discs are way better and normally that's what I prefer. But now that I have a car so original, I can understand the desire for keeping it that way. If it was only about safety, I'd drive a modern car with crumple zones and air bags. Even with the finest braking system available, I'll never drive one of these old buckets at higher speeds unless it's under controlled conditions.

Seeing those photos of the suspension parts really makes me want to do my next car at that level. That stuff looks really great.