break problems please help

[caleb_fleming]

So my day started simple enough. A trip to the parts store to pick up some break shoes for my 85 eagle.  Back at shop to put them on and when I pulled the drum off the adjuster bottom spring and a few other things just fell out.  After checking the drum it was 4 thousands out the max ID.  Nothing can ever be easy on this car.  Every repair is a can of worms.  If it wasn't so much fun to drive I would just sell it but lets face it that's not going to happen.. 

So the question is being that I'm in Alaska and there's not a break drum, break parts, or wheel cylinder within 2000 miles for an AMC Eagle. Is there something else that will fit? 

[eaglefreek]

According to Rock Auto, the brake drum part number for an Eagle crosses with these vehicles:
AMERICAN MOTORS   AMX   (1973 - 1980)
AMERICAN MOTORS   CONCORD   (1978 - 1981)
AMERICAN MOTORS   EAGLE   (1980 - 1988)
AMERICAN MOTORS   GREMLIN   (1973 - 1978)
AMERICAN MOTORS   HORNET   (1973 - 1977)
AMERICAN MOTORS   JAVELIN   1974
AMERICAN MOTORS   MATADOR   (1975 - 1976)
AMERICAN MOTORS   PACER   (1976 - 1980)
AMERICAN MOTORS   SPIRIT   (1979 - 1983)

Probably not much luck finding any of those either. .004ths isn't that much. I would think you could get away with installing the brake drum until a replacement could be ordered.

[shanebo]

Autozone carries the drums and other components...they had them in stock when I last bought them for my 86...about a year ago. I think they were about $40. Looking at the web sight they do ship to your door.

[carnuck]

I took some for an XJ (10") and slapped them on a lathe to make them the right width. My alternate thought would be swap in the whole XJ rear end. I'm doing that once I catch up on my bills with a MAJOR scrap metal run (5 ton IH Loadstar 1800 with 18' steel deck but no brakes) and car sell off! ('03 E250, '81 C20 with 454/TH400, '87 Comanche, and POSSIBLY my '82 wagon I just put together)

That would leave me with a '68 Travelall, 2 Jtrucks plus a pile of parts and some partial parts rigs. Also an '89 Comanche longbed that will become a shortbox extended cab.

[Whuntmore]

someone here posted awhile back that Jeep cherokee drums fit.  So I saved the info just in case, but here's what I saved:

"I bought Jeep Cherokee 1995 drums. Wagner # BD 125296  I couldn't buy originals here in Finland, so Jeep parts are the only way."

[BenM]

I believe there may be wheel interference with Cherokee drums and steel Eagle wheels.

[Whuntmore]

I believe there may be wheel interference with Cherokee drums and steel Eagle wheels.

Well, I can't find the post, but they had the drums on, and said there was no issues.  It would be great if someone else could verify this though...

[captspillane]

I don't see how that could possibly work. The '95 XJ drums are an inch wider than an Eagle drum. The entire brake shoe is considerably wider. The drum on my Spirit also looks substantially different than the Eagle drum externally. The only sure bet is to order the right drums or upgrade to an XJ axle.

[Whuntmore]

I don't see how that could possibly work. The '95 XJ drums are an inch wider than an Eagle drum. The entire brake shoe is considerably wider. The drum on my Spirit also looks substantially different than the Eagle drum externally. The only sure bet is to order the right drums or upgrade to an XJ axle.

Ok, so maybe he got the year wrong.  I don't know, I'm just reposting.

So there's no jeep drums (regardless of year) that will fit the eagle?  No year, or make or model?  Any ford drums fit?

anyone actually check this out? 

[BenM]

The '96 Cherokee had a 9x2.5 and a 10x1.75 drum for the back, and the Eagle had a 10x1.75 rear drum as well.

I know I couldn't get an Eagle wheel to fit over a 9x2.5 Cherokee drum, the bolts were too short to engage properly but I didn't investigate further because it was only holding the Jeep off the ground until the tire was changed. However we all know we can put Cherokee wheels on an Eagle.

I wish I could find the thread(s) where people were using Cherokee drums because they have a deeper finned skirt. There was at one time a whole discussion and I recall the same steel wheel fitment issue when someone tried the same thing because the original poster was using aluminum wheels.

Furthermore, the shoes and hard parts kits for the Cherokee and Eagle are the same part number. (For 10" Cherokee brakes.)

Like I said, I wish I could find the threads to back it up.

[Jurjen]

Brake drums are $30 @ Rockauto.
Centric part 12263018
fits the Eagle , Spirit and Concord
Centric part 12663014 fits Spirit, Concord and Cherokee 1984 - 1991 (with Dana 35).
There are dimensional drawings on the Rockauto website too.

[caleb_fleming]

Sorry so long to get back to the site.  Been in the Field training for the last two weeks.  it wasn't .0004Th's it was .04 out you can just look at it and tell it's Way too far gone to put the new shoes in I tried and it just fell back apart.  Thanks for all your guys input I think I've got a good place to start looking.  Thanks again

[doc65]

Ben, just for info, the 9x2.5 is the 8.25 ChryCo rearend, the 10x1.75 is the Dana35, I have both axles in Cherokees(93 has 8.25, 98 has D35, by the way any XJ with ABS will be a D35) I'm putting together am 8.25 with 3.07 gears for my SX4 and just picked up the parts for the ZJ rear discs last weekend at the pull a part, parts & having the drums turned I'm into the disc conversion like $80 including really nice almost new pads