Aluminum drums ?

[Pjackb]

Ive seen a few post that mentions using S30 or Roadster aluminum drums , but I dont seem to see any mentions of benefits in doing so.
Are there any ?
I have a few sets lying around in great condition
Thanks

[datzenmike]

Lighter, less unsprung weight. Finned, so might dissipate heat better but really how often on the street do your brakes suffer fade from over heating?

[MikeY]

It's kind of funny, 510 guys wanted lighter and cooler aluminum drums. And 240z guys wanted stronger steel drums. Grass is always greener somewhere else.

[bertvorgon]

My experience, when it was the flavour of the day to have FINNED aluminum drums.......

It kinda went with running true race pads on the street..what a dumb idea but a ton of us got sucked into that "racer" mentality.

As I actually generated heat into my brake system, and into the rears as I had set more rear brake bias, I hated the drums as they "bell mouthed" when they truly got hot and I ended up with a shitty brake pedal.

I put steel back before I went to rear discs....THAT...was the best move I ever made.

I would make sure the steel drums are round and call it a day. That you have some and are not going to put heat into the system, your also not going to hurt any brake feel with the aluminium ones.

And...they look cool.

[Pjackb]

It's kind of funny, 510 guys wanted lighter and cooler aluminum drums. And 240z guys wanted stronger steel drums. Grass is always greener somewhere else.

AS i like to say grass may look greener but they just have different manure

[Pjackb]

Thanks guys
Yeah polished finned drums do look awesome

[datzenmike]

I assume the aluminum rims have a thin steel liner??? Aluminum heat expansion is 2 Xs that of steel. Shoes will have to travel farther on a hot aluminum drum than a hot steel one.

[Pjackb]

I assume the aluminum rims have a thin steel liner??? Aluminum heat expansion is 2 Xs that of steel. Shoes will have to travel farther on a hot aluminum drum than a hot steel one.

Yes aluminum drums with steel liners ,I don’t think aluminum only would work for brakes

[bertvorgon]

That is correct.

The basic problem at the time, unless you bought new, was that most of the used drums we got had been turned at least once in their life, we would do a clean up pass, the steel liner was getting thin, so it's ability to distort became greater.

Then, to top that off, we ran either Metal Master pads or the full race DS-11 pads at the time. You young(er) guys have no idea how lucky you are now with choices for brakes and pads. And tires and suspension and...and....

One of my sets of so called performance tires at the time look like snow tires now!