Wet brakes

[Joseph James]

Factory manual brakes on my 68 Sport Fury. Hurricane remnants rolled through my area. I had to drive through some standing water and ended up with the passenger side wet. Hit brakes for a red light and almost ended up in the left lane.

I parked it at a store and drove Ram 2500 to work. By the time I got back to the Fury after work it was dried out and braking normally. Scared he’ll out of me, though.

 

[jcslocum]

Just one of the issues with drums and why discs are better. Glad you’re ok and not in a ditch!

 

[70NEWYORKER]

Ride the brakes for a few seconds to dry them out after going thru water.

 

[Turboomni]

I remember that as the norm when I was a kid. Ride the brakes to get the heat up so they work again correctly. They did that for 100 years. I keep drums cause I dont drive my baby in the rain and when dry they work great.

 

[CBODY67]

I remember that as the norm when I was a kid. Ride the brakes to get the heat up so they work again correctly. They did that for 100 years.

Chrysler products usually had FEWER wet brake issues than GMs did back then. The GM brakes just went away, period, until you got them dried out again.

One issue might also be that the water washes around any residue that's in the drum (i.e., lining dust and such). Rear drums are succeptible, too, even with front discs.

ONE other thing WE grew up with on those drum brake cars, back then. So we knew how to compensate. Plus that there was not a GM car looming in the rear view mirror! With wet brakes at "full-application" and not being able to slow down quickly.

Glad you survived, as did the car!

CBODY67

 

[69PHOENIX]

G'Day,
Plain & Simple fact is that Drum Brakes when Properly Adjusted & in Good Condition are Just as Good as Discs.
However Drums need to be Maintained in that Condition, Regular Adjustment, Cleaning Etc.
Disc Brake Advantages are: Not Affected by Water, Less Tendency to Pull in an Emergency, Less Heat build up & Less Maintainence.
While I have Purchased a Disc Brake Rear Conversion for my Car it was mainly out of Novelty (The Car was a Retirement Present to my Self, An Old Man's Toy if you know what I mean). And I'm Planning on having all the Doo Dads, Bells & Whistles, I can Afford.
Otherwise I would have been quite content to stick with the Rear Drums. I have always found the Disc / Drum Combination on the 69 - 71s to be Excellent even when compared to most modern Disc / Disc Set ups.
I have an Old Friend with a 65 Model, His Car had a Tendency to Pull "Inconsistantly" You never really knew if it was going to Pull or Not.
He's close to Ninety Years of Age and I was a Little concerned that his Reactions weren't as Fast as they used to be, (Neither are Mine for That Matter) so I convinced him to fit a Set of the Later Discs.
I was out with him a Few Weeks after fitting them, when there was a Very Sudden Holt in the Traffic.
After I Swallowed my Heart, I turned to Him as He sat there with a Huge Grin on his Face and Said That was a Good Idea. And we both knew Exactly what I was talking about. There are Perhaps Many things Not to Cheapskate on a Car, But two of the Most Important are Tyres & Brakes.
Regards Tony.M

 

[Joseph James]

I remember that as the norm when I was a kid. Ride the brakes to get the heat up so they work again correctly. They did that for 100 years. I keep drums cause I dont drive my baby in the rain and when dry they work great.

I am keeping my drums, as well. I am used to them and so I drive with how they work in mind.

The rain we had was extremely heavy. Some creeks were out of their banks and I had to drive through them. First time I have had them get wet even though I drive in the rain.

 

[1968 fury3 man:-)]

I remember that as the norm when I was a kid. Ride the brakes to get the heat up so they work again correctly. They did that for 100 years. I keep drums cause I dont drive my baby in the rain and when dry they work great.

 

[1968 fury3 man:-)]

I have drum brakes also and they work awesome I have a 1968 Plymouth sport fury and I love the car and I do not drive it in the rain or in the snow or anything like bad weather and it definitely sucks when you get stuck out in the rain which only happened once to me this past year