Problem: Sweptline front brake upgrade on a Pilothouse

[Bobacuda]

I have a 53 B4B, fluid drive long wheel base 1/2 ton that I am rebuilding. I have read on this site and several others that the 67-71 dodge front drum brakes are a bolt on improvement - simply take off the old hub, brakes and backplate and put the Sweptline hardware on.

So, I spent a day collecting the parts off of a 69 D100 6 cyl truck at a junkyard, spent $200 on new brakes and bearings and two days later I now have the backplates and brakes on the front of my 53. So, I was ready to install the hubs, which is where I found the problem.

The problem is that the diameter of the inner bearing for the 53 is smaller than that of the 69 (at least 1/10"). IN other words, this swap NOT a direct bolt on (at least on my truck). If I use the 69 bearing (and race), the hub flops around. If I use the 53 bearing and race, the race is too large for the 69 hub. If I put the 53 bearing in the 69 race, the rollers are not completely covered by the race (bearing sticks out at least 1/10" more than normal).

I have the following bearings and races:

53 - Bower 14125A; race Timken 14276

69 - Timken LM548; raceTimken LM48510

HELP! How have you others fixed this? (1) Do I use the 53 bearing that protrudes? (2) Do you have a bearing number that has the correct dimensions? (3) Am I just screwed and now I have to go back and rebuild the 53's brakes (another $200) or go back to the junk yard and get the 69's spindles (if it has not gone to the crusher). What did you other people do?

Photos attached. First photo the 69 is on the L, 53 on the R. Second photo the 69 is on top of the 53. Third photo the 53 bearing is in the 69 race on the R, compared to a matched 69 set.

[gerritson]

You cannot use bearing cup series numbers with non-matching bearing cone

numbers. You could have the inner race (cup) area in the hub sleeved to

match the smaller inner cup O.D. and seal size of the original hub if the 50's

one is the smaller bearing. Or you could sleeve the spindle to match the I.D.

of the 60's bearing cone. These are common solutions to mismatched hubs

and spindles that I have used in the automotive and agricultural fields for

25 + years.

gerritson

[dodgebrice]

I found the same problem on my Lil Red Express.

When I bought it, it had rotors off a 90's dodge which use a larger

inner bearing, it flopped around and wore out two sets before I figured out the problem. I had a bushing made out of stainless that pressed into the

larger bearing. Seems to be working great so far.

[carl b51]

I have a 51 B3B, I used from the king pins out. They came off of a 71 D 100. Bolts right on . The only thing I had to do was inlarge 1 hole where the steering arm bolt on to the spindle. HOPE this helps. Carl Go back to the Junk Yard and get the spindles.

Edited May 1, 2011 by carl b51

[Scruffy49]

Just FYI, Sweptline front brakes are getting harder to come by every day. I replaced both drums on my 69 D-100 in March, took 2 days to get one of them, two weeks for the other to show up.

The drum and hub are factory locked together on Swepts via the lug studs.

Rear drum will fit on the front hub but you will need to use the correct shoes for your rear drum. Autozone has the best price for rear drums and shoes.

If you like alloy wheels have the shop thatr cuts your swedges off install longer than stock replacement studs, factory ones are rather short. Early ones had reversed thread on the driver side.

Your stock wheels will work fine with Sweptline drum and hub. I use a 49 wheel as a temp spare for my 69. And vice-versa, my Pilot House runs Dodge "Lifestyle Era" wheels, pre-84 1/2 ton truck. Mine are off a 78 Ramcharger pop-top 4x4.

Join Sweptline.org's forum, for the swap pages if nothing else. Site owner and several other members have Sweptline graveyards. One member sells Pilot House brake and powertrain parts.