brake drums

[staggerwing]

Anybody know if one can drill a five lug pattern (preferably Chevy) in a VW drum that already has four holes in it? If it's been done, that's what I want to do, but if I have to buy blanks first (cause there ain't enough room for 9 holes), then I'll do that.

[Russhebert]

You can drill the 5 hole pattern because I did but if I remember you have to weld up 1 hole because it will break through one of the 4.

[Fred]

Scary drillin Drums, adapters are safer I think JMO good luck!!

[staggerwing]

Update: Drilled the existing rear drums to except a 5-hole Chevy pattern. The bolt we put in the hole as a plug (cause you have to plug one existing hole) was welded on the inside and ground off flat on the side facing the wheel. When it cooled, the plug was too hard to drill through - dangit. A standard drillbit wouldn't work, a carbide drill bit wouldn't work, and an end mill just bounced on the plug as well. Put some studs in the wheels and went to the car show in Wallis with one lug missing. Bryan didn't notice so I guess it was okay. Ordered some new drums with Chevy/Ford pattern from SoCal (ouch) and things are better. Oh yeah, before drilling the old drums, we chucked them up in a lathe to lay out the pattern and checked them for trueness. One was out 0.020" and the other was out 0.022". The new drums were not checked so I can't say if the cause of the vibration was the old drums or the wheel adapters. The vibration is gone though, and I'm happy about that. The fronts are next; problem with that is nobody sells blanks or drilled front drums. At least I haven't found anyone.

[Bryan Porter]

Moore parts sells rotors with the chevy pattern
Didn't see missing lug
Thanks for the wine.

[staggerwing]

Painted the rears Teal and sis liked em so much I was trying to do the same thing on the fronts. If things don't work out we'll have to try rotors. At least there'll be some teal up there to match the rear!

Your welcome!! Please let me know how you like it.

[Jack Duncan]

I have Empi T6 aluminum adapters with Chevvy patterns. I was going to use disc brakes in the front, but to save money I didn't. The drums stop nicely and have no complaints. I wouldn't advise redrilling the drums. I did that on a '56 Ford truck, but I had much more room. Anyway, you have to be extremely accurate with the drilling. I had to use an index head on a milling machine.

[Bryan Porter]

I have drilled drums and rotors for years and never had a problem take them to a shop with a cnc machine and have them do it.

[Jack Duncan]

Or, what he said!!

[staggerwing]

You're too funny Jack! I wanna pull the fronts off this weekend and maybe get them knocked out next week! Stay tuned...