Brake Lathe

[jrodjared]

Wayneh, you asked me if the shop I worked in had a machine that could resurface brake drums. They did! It's meant for rotors, but they had the fittings for drums as well. Problem is, our drums are too big.


Shot of the machine. You supposedly place an adapter on the shaft that fits inside the drum's race.




All of the adapters.

[jrodjared]

Their largest adapter.


The inside of our drums. Granted, there is no race inserted here, but even so, it's no where close.

So that stinks. First question though, how do you know you need to have them resurfaced. And second, where should I look to have it done if I can't get it done in my shop? Heavy machinery place?

[Gordon Maney]

Your top photo shows hardware to support hubless drums or rotors. I am assuming you would not set up that way, instead using the ground adapters that engage with the bearing races, inner and outer.

Ammco does offer adapters of the right size for these hubs, but I am sure they are expensive today. Even correctly set up, you can be horrified by the amount of runout in the setup.

I would not turn clean. Leave any heavy scores. The maximum oversize on these drums does not leave you much to remove, and if you turn with a bad setup you have no meat left to fix it. I am not saying that you should not turn them. I am saying you need to be extremely careful.

I like Ammco lathes.

[jrodjared]

The shop isn't going to get the adapters. I'm probably going to just take them to a heavy truck shop when I get to that point and have them done.

[Gordon Maney]

I think I would hover over the operator at the heavy truck shop. He won't care if your drums are too big.

[jrodjared]

I think I would hover over the operator at the heavy truck shop. He won't care if your drums are too big.

True that