LeishaShannon
Adventurer
Is there any need to protect the rear drum with SRW?
it looks somewhat vulnerable to damage and it could drag in sand?
it looks somewhat vulnerable to damage and it could drag in sand?
Protecting the rear drums with SRW
- Thread starter LeishaShannon
- Start date
Somebody mentioned this concern in a post on this board, but can't remember when or exactly where.
A solution that stuck in my mind would be to bolt on a rim W/O tire in the inner dual position, which would protect the drum, and, to a limited extent, the incursion of sand, debris, etc. to the interior of the drum.
Would this make sense to you?
A solution that stuck in my mind would be to bolt on a rim W/O tire in the inner dual position, which would protect the drum, and, to a limited extent, the incursion of sand, debris, etc. to the interior of the drum.
Would this make sense to you?
In a rare moment of clarity, the thought germinates- "This guy actually makes a bit of sense!"
Yeah, if something is bad enough to wreck a brake drum, not much can stand in its way- unless of course you paint the drum beige....
gait
Explorer
good question, they do look a bit odd stuck out like they are. A bit like side effects from medication. Not just the drums - brake pipes, bleed nipples, and I'm sure "etc". I eventually figured they looked odd rather than being too big a problem. On reflection I figured that something somewhere had to be the low point or the weak point or the most exposed or the most ugly or .... so it might as well be the rear drums and there was a time to stop improving things. Apart from which I couldn't figure out what I would be protecting them from or how.
In practice I couldn't find any evidence of the drums being more prone to attack from anything than anything else underneath. They even somehow avoided the drenching with new hot tar on a Turkish road. And no apparent damage when truck came to rest partly on rear axle/drum while falling off the road.
If the front track has changed the changed pattern of debris thrown up may be more likely to escape round the sides of the vehicle and other hitherto "clean" spots like mirrors and side windows. I didn't and its a pain plus unsafe in the rain (not too bad I avoid rain and night driving in foreign countries but got caught out a couple of times). Also check that with larger tyres the mud flaps are within the legal limit (distance bottom to road) and wide enough. Not so much to be legal but to stop some of the stuff that otherwise may bounce around underneath.
I don't think its a question of over thinking. One of my (and I'm absolutely not unique) survival techniques "on the road in distant places" is to "listen" carefully. Anything strange or unusual has to be understood and attended to, even if the outcome is to ignore it. Better a quick question and answer now than a disaster later - my Mum used to say "a stitch in time". Having said that there are also the other extreme of people who simply set off, take it as it comes and wait until it brakes - as it inevitably does.
I became more concerned about tyre sidewall and rim damage than damage to the exposed drums. Depends where you are headed.
In practice I couldn't find any evidence of the drums being more prone to attack from anything than anything else underneath. They even somehow avoided the drenching with new hot tar on a Turkish road. And no apparent damage when truck came to rest partly on rear axle/drum while falling off the road.
If the front track has changed the changed pattern of debris thrown up may be more likely to escape round the sides of the vehicle and other hitherto "clean" spots like mirrors and side windows. I didn't and its a pain plus unsafe in the rain (not too bad I avoid rain and night driving in foreign countries but got caught out a couple of times). Also check that with larger tyres the mud flaps are within the legal limit (distance bottom to road) and wide enough. Not so much to be legal but to stop some of the stuff that otherwise may bounce around underneath.
I don't think its a question of over thinking. One of my (and I'm absolutely not unique) survival techniques "on the road in distant places" is to "listen" carefully. Anything strange or unusual has to be understood and attended to, even if the outcome is to ignore it. Better a quick question and answer now than a disaster later - my Mum used to say "a stitch in time". Having said that there are also the other extreme of people who simply set off, take it as it comes and wait until it brakes - as it inevitably does.
I became more concerned about tyre sidewall and rim damage than damage to the exposed drums. Depends where you are headed.
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LeishaShannon
Adventurer
Thanks all! leaving them alone sounds like the best course of action.
Mudflaps / wheel arches I'm still pondering what to do. The plastic double wide things we have now will go, they were a temporary measure to get the truck on the road while building. I'm leaning toward using those "angled" aluminium underbody storage boxes on either side of the wheel and hanging a rubber mudguard of appropriate length from the leading edge of the rear box . This gives us some storage + wheel arches for 12Kg / side, or the same weight as the existing steel poles/plastic guards.
Similar to this
Mudflaps / wheel arches I'm still pondering what to do. The plastic double wide things we have now will go, they were a temporary measure to get the truck on the road while building. I'm leaning toward using those "angled" aluminium underbody storage boxes on either side of the wheel and hanging a rubber mudguard of appropriate length from the leading edge of the rear box . This gives us some storage + wheel arches for 12Kg / side, or the same weight as the existing steel poles/plastic guards.
Similar to this
Bandicoot
Adventurer
Having had an EarthCruiser (based on Fuso FG with SRW conversion) now for almost 5 years I can safely say of all the things I worry about, the drums are not one of them. However, I did notice this U-bolt on the rear spring pack from the last trip. Spot the difference (sorry, but my photos seem to regularly rotate themselves on this forum)....
whatcharterboat
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
You would be very unlucky to ever do damage to a rear brake drum fitted with a SWC conversion . It would be very hard to put a number on the amount of SWC conversions I've been involved with.....but I have never heard anyone come back and say a drum was damaged.
I asked my mate Shaun the same this morning. He's on his 30th Canter with SWC and they spend 2/3rds of their life offroad. He said the same thing. "No issue like this has ever occurred".
Regards John
I asked my mate Shaun the same this morning. He's on his 30th Canter with SWC and they spend 2/3rds of their life offroad. He said the same thing. "No issue like this has ever occurred".
Regards John
Aussie Iron
Explorer
LeishaShannon
Adventurer
Thanks John and everyone else, obviously no need to do anything.
*strikes another job off the list*
Only another 100 or so to go
*strikes another job off the list*
Only another 100 or so to go
Right! We'd hate to see you get bored......*strikes another job off the list*
Only another 100 or so to go
THAT'S where I saw it. I knew it was around here somewhere. Thanks, ianc!
Your discs and calipers are FAR more vulnerable than drums. I agree, the rims are a good idea for your situation.
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