Has anyone ever done anything to make the drums stronger ? I have a brake equalizer on my car and it works great but I was thinking of making some rings to press over the drums to make them stronger.
mac's and snyders have a band you can put on thin model A drums, might call them to see if they have these bands for T's.
Jerry I like the idea but would question the press fit. To achieve a fit that would hold up to years of use (the bands putting pressure on the rings and the drums trying to turn) it seems you would have to machine the drums first to get a smooth level surface then to make sure the rings didn't slip either spot weld or freeze the drums and heat the rings before pressing. might need some R&D to get a dependable product.
Maybe a better choice then a beefed up steel drum would be Rock Mtn brakes on cast iron:
G.R.Chesire , I don't plan on just pressing them I figured I would spot weld or stitch weld them once pressed on. I will make my own and can machine them to fit each drum if I needed.
Cast iron would be great but then it might be partly a Chevy.
Are you using the rear drums as your service brake? If so, the added ring would also add thermal capacity. If they are used as an emergency brake, then they should be fine as they are.