1966 Ford Mustang Front Drum Brakes Rebuilding & Detailing

When we rebuilt our front suspension for our Project ’66 in the July 2000 issue of Mustang Monthly, we called upon the great people at Metro Mustang to provide V-8–spec front spindles and drum brakes for our project. At the time, we simply bolted the spindles on to keep the project rolling—figuratively as well as literally. The drum brake assemblies that came with our spindles needed a total overhaul, which is understandable, since only God knows how long these spindles have been sitting around. We wanted straight spindles with good backing plates (which is what we received). Everything else is replaceable.

These 10-inch V-8 drum brakes are very simple in their operation and repair/maintenance procedures. This article can be used for either manual or power applications, and even for the miniscule 9-inch drum brakes found on the six-cylinder cars. The brake parts required are your standard Wagner or other retail line of brake parts. But the benefits of ordering from a Mustang parts vendor is that the company will have what you need for your vintage Mustang and can help you with Mustang-specific questions—try that at the local Pep Boys.

We chose to rebuild our front power drum brakes with quality items from National Parts Depot. NPD’s catalog lists all brake rebuild items by year and system type for an easy decision as to what you need. On our Project ’66, we chose the “better safe than sorry” route and replaced everything, including the bearings, bearing races, dust caps, brake hardware, shoes, wheel cylinders, brake hoses, and drums. The rebuilding process took the better part of a day, so be prepared to get dirty, because brake dust and brake fluid make quite a mess.