Turning Brake Drums

[ArtGill]

I'm having the front brakes etc being checked on the front of my Coach.  The mechanic had just completed doing brakes on a fire truck and replaced the drums.  When I asked him about replacing the drums, he said they don't "turn" drums any more.  Is this correct?  I would think that new drums are much more than having them turned.  Please share your experience with me.

Art

[Busted Knuckle]

Art,
It's been a long time since I found anyone who would turns bus drums.

But the price of drums had gone way down too. I don't know if they've gone up a bunch or not like any other metal object has since the Chinese are buying all our scrap & new steel & iron @ alarming prices.
  BK 

Shoot most car & pick up rotors cost less than turning these days!

[ArtGill]

Thanks, That is what I needed to know.   Art

[TomC]

You can get a 16.5"x7" cast truck drum for about $85.00 new.  Or step up to the Centrifuse brake drum for about $165.00.  The cast drum is usually toast by the time it needs to have new linings with being either warped, or heat cracked, etc.  The Centrifuse brake can be turned-but finding where to do that-that's another question. Most just replace the drums now.  Even at $165.00 plus another $100.00 for the linings and spring kit-that's pretty cheap for a brake job-$265.00 per wheel.  Good Luck, TomC

[Ralph7]

   First MCI/ TMC coach drums are 14 1/2 and cutable, and if you cut them you 1x or 2x or 3x over size brake pads.
   My drums cost me $40.00 each to be cut.

[Joe Camper]

I've yet to see a drum for a prevo that was in need of replacement. Some have very small cracks but besides that everything I remove is smooth and without any significant ridge.

This thread tweaked my curiosity so I inquired.

250 for a drive axle drum for a 96 XL form Prevo parts Elgin. That may seem like allot but I those drums are MASSIVE they have easily twice the mass of the drums that I had on my Pete. I have never seen anything like them they truly are BEEF.

I would also suggest not to turn drums.

On a related note

Don't forget when you do have them off do this.

Take a 9/16 socket on a cordless drill and put that to the slack adjuster nut and rotate the s-cams 360 degree while pumping grease into the s-cam bushings. Do this over and over and over. It can only be done with the drums off often this is overlooked.As you are rotating the cams and when the rollers on the shoes get to the outer edge of the cam slow the drill down to walk the rollers down the backside of the outer edge of the cam so they dont slap down, then continue on. Do it over and over till you really free them back up often it will make a bid difference. I used to do this on my pete always in a sloppy quarry things got very nasty

When greasing the s-cam bushings with the drums on as in a normal greasing I am always cautious that it does not get overgreased and force grease past the inner seal and booger up the drums with grease. This also contributes to potential issues. Crank that grease in there now when you can and both be sure you DO get grease at that inner seal and can clean it up afterward.

On a vehicle that sits a bunch and has very limited use this will go a long way towards eliminate all those related stuck brake and hanging and dragging and slow release problems.

For prevo guys 1 other thing when the drums are off. Get some brake shoe return springs and anytime a drum is off check them or replace them. I have found many very corroded to the point of failure as well as altogether broke. The alloy of those parts is poor IMO. They are inexpensive and easy to switch out if you are already in there.