1937-48 Ford Style Self-Energizing Juice Drum Brake Kit

• Self-energizing hydraulic brake backing plate kit fits 1937-1948 Ford cars
• Kit features vintage appearing 1940 Ford style backing plate for 12x2-inch brakes
• Brake shoes, installation hardware, and 15/16-inch wheel cylinders included
• Can be fitted to front spindle/hub or banjo-style rear hub flange
• Works with Buick-style finned aluminum drums
• Also fits 1937-1947 Ford half-ton pickup truck models
• Minor grinding for clearance required on stock 1937-1948 Ford spindles
• Direct fit to Speedway forged spindles and early Ford front wheel hubs
• Will fit Ford Model A and Model B spindles with use of our adapter rings
• Does not fit Ford 9-inch axle flange bolt patterns

Self-Energizing Hydraulic Drum Brakes with A Period Looking Backing Plate

When it comes to early Ford brakes, Mr. Ford took his sweet time updating Ford’s car line from mechanical to hydraulic brakes. Most manufacturers had updated to safer and stronger hydraulic brakes several years prior. It wouldn’t be until 1939 that Ford Motor Company finally added the much needed safety of hydraulic brakes to their cars. Over the decades it has become a popular upgrade to add these hydraulic, or “juice brakes” to the earlier mechanical brake operated Fords. The issue has slowly become finding serviceable parts (in some cases nearly 90 years old) to make the conversion from early Ford brakes to juice brakes work. Some conversion parts have come to market to fill the gap and make the update easier, but very few look the part. Hot rodders prefer their upgrades to have the proper period look and now they can with our new 1940 Ford brakes style drum brake backing plate kit.

Upgrading to juice brakes on an early Ford often meant hunting down a later Ford car, truck, or Lincoln drum brake package and modifying it to work on your spindles. These early hydraulic upgrades were an improvement, however they often required constant and complicated adjustments to provide decent braking. Furthermore, these early hydraulic drum brake systems were not self-energizing. A self-energizing drum brake system uses a floating brake shoe mount and pivot. When the drum brakes are applied, and the shoes move outward to contact the drum they rotate with the drum a small amount. This creates a wedging motion that increases the drum brake’s effectiveness without increasing pedal pressure. The early Ford brakes did not have this feature, instead pinning the brake shoes at the bottom and only pushing outward at the top of the drum.

More modern hydraulic brake upgrades are self-energizing, but their brake backing plate design tends to stick out visually as a “tattle tale” that your early Ford is running modern brakes. Our hydraulic drum brake kit provides the best braking possible while being mounted to a beautiful period looking 1940 Ford brakes-style backing plate that blends right in with other period modifications for your early Ford hot rod.

12-inch Drum Brakes for Your Early Ford That Provide Exceptional Stopping Power

Our backing plates are designed for the popular 12-inch brake drums that fit over 12x2-inch brake shoes used in early hot rodding. Both the Bendix style drum and the Buick-style finned aluminum drum are perfect additions that will fit over the included brake hardware and complement these backing plates.

Besides the standard 12x2-inch brake shoes and mounting hardware, we include brand new 15/16-inch wheel cylinders that accept modern 7/16-20 IF (inverted flare) fittings and hoses. No longer will you have to make continual adjustments for brake pedal feel and braking system effectiveness. Between the self-energizing design and the included easy to use and access adjuster mechanisms, your updated 12-inch drum system will provide many years of trouble free braking performance.

Fits 1937-1948 Ford Car Spindles or Our 1937-1941 Round Back Forged Spindle Kit

Fitting this juice brake backing plate and drum hardware to your stock 1937-1948 Ford car spindle (or ’37-’47 Ford 1/2-ton truck spindle) requires minor trimming of the spindle top for the backing plate to seat flush. This is nothing that can’t be handled with a hand grinder and a few minutes of your time. Alternatively, you can upgrade to our 1937-1941 round back milled forged spindle kit that features one-piece milled forged spindles with king pin kit that has the proper drum brake backing plate clearance machined into them already. If you’re looking to add our self-energizing 12-inch drum brake kit to your Model A spindles our adapter ring kit makes this brake package a bolt on for your Model A hot rod. Lastly, it’s not a bad idea to toss on a new set of wheel hubs while you’re there with fresh bearings, seals, and wheel studs to make the project go smoothly!

You can finally have the excellent braking of a Bendix-style self-energizing hydraulic braking system for your Ford hot rod while maintaining the original “Lockheed” style 1940 Ford brakes drum backing plate design for that cool retro vintage vibe. This is especially important on fenderless hot rods where the backing plate is plainly visible. Upgrade your ride today and have better braking tomorrow!

Important Brake Drum Fitment Information

This brake kit is NOT designed to work with original 1937-48 Ford brake drums.

For proper fitment, this kit requires 12" x 2" brake drums and is compatible only with the following drum options:

• 12" x 2" Brake Drum for Bendix Style 1937-48 Ford Brakes (91065400)
• Buick-Style Finned Aluminum Brake Drum for Ford Spindles, 12” x 2” (91065495)
• Buick-Style Polished Finned Brake Drum for Ford Spindles, 12” x 2” (91065496)

This kit is designed specifically for 2" wide brake drums and will not work with factory drums or drums of a different width. Using the correct brake drums is required for proper installation, fit, and brake operation.

Note: Verify brake drum compatibility before ordering. Incorrect drum selection may result in fitment issues and prevent proper installation.