rachel4291

Hello all,

i am am new to the forum and as a dodge owner. I recently purchased a 1939 Dodge D11 and instantly fell in love. In spite of the the 80 year old nuances and much needed repairs. It is still a sweet ride.
Anyway I have ALOT of questions about this car, when I purchased the car the front drum brakes were not functioning. Rear drum brakes seem to be functioning fine. I was told by the seller he believes the master cylinder is in good condition. This is my first antique car and I am used to seeing the master cylinder on the driver side by the fire wall, however; I am not seeing it. Could I be looking in the wrong location, do drum brakes from the 30’s not require a master cylinder or some variation of a master cylinder?
We have found a vacuum leak and the drum brakes are run on a vacuum. Could part of our braking Robles be attributed to the vacuum leak?

Finally, ultimately, I would like to convert the drum brakes to disc brakes. Both the front and rear tires are 15s and I’ve seen for disc brake conversions the tires need to be at least 15 inches. Is there anything I should know before having this done, anything any one of you have found as far as pros or cons or things to steer clear of when upgrading the brakes?

thank you in advance!!!

RacerHog

Look under the drivers floorboard
The conversion is a big project on that car. But its a great upgrade.

rachel4291

We did find the master cylinder. Thank you for the tip!!!

fivepoint

The only brakes that use vacuum are power brakes. I don't think power brakes were an option in 1939

rachel4291

hkestes

Look at http://rustyhope.com/site/ he has disc brake kits for the old Mopars that are all but a bolt on. Use later model calipers / rotors / hoses that are readily available at any of your local parts houses.

I used his kit on my 48 Plymouth and they worked great.