drum brake improvements for mud
I got tired of the mudded up brake drums and gridded the brake pads where mud and water can escape to the sides, I also open up the top brake pin pivot some as well as the brake shoe pin holes and used a little never seize. If you got muddy water or a lot of mud the backing place plug will not let everythin out, I drilled some extra holes where i could stick a 3/8 dia 3 foot pipe connected to a garden hose to wash out the junk that was always making the brakes stickey or hang up, I drive a lot of ranch roads where traffic has the water stirred up to half mud. When I would go back to drive the mog the next time the brakes would be slow, after I did the extra and washed out the brakes every time I came back i never had any problems, they work but are not disks, i always thought a bigger pistoned brake master cylinder from a 1 ton dodge or something similar would help, even when new they require massive efort to lock up in panic, a new style brake booster would help as well. I think every 404 i have driven had soso brakes, if you have the money get the disc, easy to clean, parts at napa, I spent almost $800 redoing marginal drum system because i did not know of the site or all the conversions out here now. I still think you would be better off buy the 406 axles with disc already, they are for sale cheap but u have to order from germany, $400 fronts plus shipping until they figure out there is a growing market for the with 4x4er's. I also had some trobule with the vent on the hub letting water in the gearbox,I I just smashed the ends some and no more mustard colored oil!I am on the coastal plains of south texas where it has been flooding every year, lots of suspended dirt in the water to plug up everything!good luck on your project!