Should you always turn drums when doing new brakes?

[brycebba]

I havent pulled my drums off yet but I have noticed a rhythmic noise coming from the passenger rear brake when applying the brakes on my 96 K3500 so I figure they need replacing. I have never done drum brakes but we have that sweet write-up on here about how to do it so I feel good about giving it a try. One thing I am curious about is if you always need to turn the drums. Obviously if there are grooves then they need to be or possibly replaced but what if they are smooth?

 

[sewlow]

I always get new drums turned. I've some that, right out of the box, were so far out-of-round they were beyond using. Others were very close to being true, but still needed one or 2 passes on the lathe to get them perfect.
Your old drums can be turned if they are within spec. Brake & machine shops that turn drums have a special tool for checking that.
I wouldn't waste my time turning the old ones, though.
Buy new & get them turned. The cost of new drums is cheap piece of mind.

 

[19trax95]

Most of the time the price of a new drum is less or the same as the price to cut them. It all depends on how the shop charges the time. The shop I worked at did hourly instead of flat rate. So most customers just got new drums. The exception was usually the larger trucks or customers that insisted on cutting them.

Sometimes the grooves or damage is too deep and you go past the max spec diameter so they are junk anyway.

 

[brycebba]

Geez, these drums are freaking expensive! 200+ dollars just for the drums. I had no idea that drums are so much more than discs. I'm guessing it will be 350 in parts by the time I am done

 

[polar]

Should not be that much. My drums were like $50 a piece

 

[brycebba]

Is that for the drums that are the 13 by 3.5? I have the JB8 RPO code I guess

 

[polar]

After checking online it should be around 120-140 for both frums

 

[454cid]

Is that for the drums that are the 13 by 3.5? I have the JB8 RPO code I guess

I think you've got a dually, right? Those things have got to be pushing 75 pounds. Mine are bad enough being a srw 1-ton.

 

[brycebba]

Mine is a srw.

 

[Chris6060]

To get new drums from my local parts store for my truck (JB6 RPO, 11 5/32" rear drums) costs 235$/side WITH my 40% discount because I work at the local Ford dealership.

Now I'm worried because I just finished redoing my entire brake system and upgrading to an NBS master cylinder but the one thing I didn't replace were the drums, and I didn't get them turned because they were really smooth already.