Drag Racing Discussions > Front Engine Dragsters
Potential FED Build
Don Munyon:
Wow! I didn,t see that one coming. Bye bye
Roger:
Back in the 70’s I had 2 different FEDs that used drum brakes. One had an 8 3/4 with Chrysler drum brakes with semi-metallic linings that ran 140+ and one had an 8 3/4 with 1962 Pontiac Bonneville drum brakes with semi-metallic linings that ran 150+. Both cars had iron BBC in them and I never had an issue with brake fade or any other brake problems. At the speeds you’d be running with your engines and as long as all the brake components are in good condition, I’d use them. They may be heavier that discs? but they are every bit as effective. And it ain’t got nothing to do with being cheap but more to do with being wise with your funds.
Looking at the parts you have maybe put one of your engines in with a Powerglide, buy a 4000rpm stall convertor and feed it to the 8 ¾ rear with a stock open rear end with original gears. Both my earlier FEDs used stock open carriers with 4.10 gears and the faster car would pull the front end up 10” and carry it for 60 or 70 feet and ran perfectly straight. I put a 300hp 350 in my 1600# altered with a 2100 stall convertor (totally wrong) and ran 6.81 @ 103mph in the 1/8th. It was so consistent that I made money with the car! No reason you can’t do the same and have a good time doing it.
THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER:
--- Quote from: Roger on January 20, 2020, 08:40:17 PM --- I put a 300hp 350 in my 1600# altered with a 2100 stall convertor (totally wrong) and ran 6.81 @ 103mph in the 1/8th. It was so consistent that I made money with the car! No reason you can’t do the same and have a good time doing it.
--- End quote ---
Sometimes "totally wrong" is absolutely perfectly right.
Case-In-Point: I use 2.47 (totally wrong) rear end gears in my home built RPU. I wanted a car so easy to drive even a trained monkey could win with it. Hooks in a mudslide.
Two track championships. Nine wins in twelve final rounds before I retired it after proving my point.
Pass the bananas.
dreracecar:
--- Quote from: Roger on January 20, 2020, 08:40:17 PM ---Back in the 70’s I had 2 different FEDs that used drum brakes. One had an 8 3/4 with Chrysler drum brakes with semi-metallic linings that ran 140+ and one had an 8 3/4 with 1962 Pontiac Bonneville drum brakes with semi-metallic linings that ran 150+. Both cars had iron BBC in them and I never had an issue with brake fade or any other brake problems. At the speeds you’d be running with your engines and as long as all the brake components are in good condition, I’d use them. They may be heavier that discs? but they are every bit as effective. And it ain’t got nothing to do with being cheap but more to do with being wise with your funds.
Looking at the parts you have maybe put one of your engines in with a Powerglide, buy a 4000rpm stall convertor and feed it to the 8 ¾ rear with a stock open rear end with original gears. Both my earlier FEDs used stock open carriers with 4.10 gears and the faster car would pull the front end up 10” and carry it for 60 or 70 feet and ran perfectly straight. I put a 300hp 350 in my 1600# altered with a 2100 stall convertor (totally wrong) and ran 6.81 @ 103mph in the 1/8th. It was so consistent that I made money with the car! No reason you can’t do the same and have a good time doing it.
--- End quote ---
News Flash--- the 70's was over 40 years ago, when you could buy quality USA/OEM parts and they sold good racing shoes for drum brakes, Just because the packaging says "Performance" does not make it so. Like it or not my opinion on safety will never change
Roger:
Hold on there a moment partner, my reply was to your reply that stated “Disc brakes are lighter and lower reciprocal weight than heavy drums that take time and HP to get going” and "Some people are not smart-just cheap". Let me remind you of some words spoken in this forum: “its more like why spend the money for somthing that is not needed.” I agree with that statement as well as you. You wrote it! For the speeds he’ll run in the 1/8 mile I stand by my words as long as all the brake components are in good condition so why spend more money if not needed.
And it’s now you bring up safety??? Safety should never have been an after-thought. Your assumption that quality products must be made in the USA is a personal opinion at best, unless of course you have documentation of such in the area of drum brake components. I checked and there are still both regular and semi-metallic brake shoes available off the shelf and there are several companies that can reline your core shoes with the bonded or riveted linings of your choice. Rest assured, my opinion of doing things safely will never change as well. And this comes from an old guy that actually climbs in and races his car down the track.
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