...old brake hoses have been known to get "arterioschlerosis" - I have one '65 Belvedere that had little or no rear brake action when I got it, but everything looked good at the wheels... The rear breakhose was almost completely plugged up solid.

Those stud breaking tire monkeys are everywhere. I once had a '69 Road Runner that actually had right hand mag nuts crossthreaded over the left hand studs! I've told tire idiots before "careful, man, they're left hand thread" and they proceded to go the wrong way and break them off anyway - they didn't know what "left-hand thread" meant! Anymore, I won't even take the idiots my cars - I bring them only the wheels, and I hate even letting them touch those.

D/W

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If it ain't broke, fix it!

I have two dodges so I always have a good one when one gets "sick" on me. My73 needs a day's worth of work, new idler arm and install an upper control arm bushing, just one (the original somehow vanished).

once that is done, that car will be driven, and the '66 will go in for some serious work. Garaging it at my dad's house, where the tools are more plentiful than where I am at.

In this order:
1) brakes. check and replace all of the cylinders in the drums (since they are not expensive and need to be replaced anyway). then ensure springs and hardware is all moving properly undisturbed. Might replace all the automatic adjusters since they are midly important, haha. Shoes I am positive are all good, just pretty sure they all arent contacting the drums. Replace or machine any drums that need it, and fix driver's side lugs and drum.
2) REPLACE all suspension bushings front and rear. New strut rods, and torsion bars, and new leaf springs in the rear. new shocks (KYB or Monroe all the way around, nothing top of the line, but good ones).
3) Purchase remanufactured engine, and rebuild current engine.

I have one problem, but I will make it known in another post.

Thanks for all the info guys, between me, the manual, my dad, his mopar buddies, and all of you I am confident all this work will go very well.


Caesar

ceasar-
if you do anything with the drums (machine or replace) you will need new shoes since the shoes will mirror the friction surfaces of the drums. the old shoes on fresh drums will hurt performance. sorta like putting clean socks on dirty feet.

-james

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In my experience, as long as the already-new shoes aren't contaminated with grease or brake fluid and aren't severely glazed, they can simply be scuffed with coarse sandpaper and run with new drums.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Glad I read this post. I have to get a State inspection (Virginia U.S.)
every year and they check brake pads.

I guess I will have get the shop to be sure to note the left hand lugs.

I think I'll make the jokers sign a contract agreeing not to use an air
gun on the lugs.

yeah, the big "L" stamped into the end of the stud and the copper coated lugnuts are hard to miss!
i must admit i was guilty of this while working on my very first car ('69 barracuda.) luckily one of the guys in the shop knew better and stopped me before i did any damage. to this day i think of that moment whenever i work with lefty threads. thanks tommy zottoli (ya turtle!!!!)

-james

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I had a heck of a time, removeing the right front wheel from a Cuda, I bought. Then I realized, someone had swaped a left side drum, with the left hand studs, to the right side.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

o dang that had to suck i remember in my auto class i had to make sure and tell the kids and watch them that the left side was left hand threads they couldnt believe it lol they only got to loosen the lugs once, nobody else touched it

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Cuda Progress
The dart as it sits now