I need new drums on my truck. 1996 3/4 ton 4x4. What are the preferred drums? Where to buy them? Prices?

 

Napa's premium grade drums work for me.
Seem to recall they were $79 each

 

Got mine at Advance Auto Parts. Same drums, cheaper price. Don't wast money on fancy with no benefit drums.

 

Stay away from drums made in China. I went through one set in three months and a second set in a 50 mile trip pulling a three horse trailer. Took both sets back to Car Quest and bought a set made by Raybestes. Six months later no problems and they were only twenty bucks difference. No more China built stuff here.....

 

NAPA has only been GREAT to me!!

 

We used ONLY NAPA A.E. for years in a shop I worked at with near zero problems.

The real problem is that last time, just a few months ago, I went to NAPA and ordered their best steel. It came in the box it always used to but this time, for the first time, they were marked MADE IN CHINA.

They always used to be Canadian or USA.

NAPA steel is starting to suck now.

And by all means stay away from Chinese brake products, even the 2-year warranty ones.

Good luck finding made in anywhere but China drums.

 

I quit dealing with NAPA when they sold my wife nuts for "LAG" bolts then acted upset when I took 'em back.

 

I don't know the condition of your drums, but, it may be worthwhile to see if there's enough thickness left to have them cut. I cut mine about a month ago instead of buying new ones. I only had to remove about 7 thousandths to true them up.

 

The NAPA I deal with has a man running the store, who has been in the business for a long while who "knows what is going on" not some snot nosed kid with his pants around his --well you know--who thinks a 440 is a snowmobile engine!! All of the "other" big places have those, and they come with that great "i really don't care attitude", more great parenting showing through......

 

It all depends on the guy behind the counter.

Well still even with a good napa guy behind the counter he couldn't get me drums NOT made in China for my Cherokee.

 

there is a difference between the six month and the two year steel at Autozone though.

The six month stuff is such poorly machined garbage that when I have used it I always had instant noise and braking power problems.

Of course, my wife can make any brakes pulsate sooner or later.

 

I went to AutoZone and the only drums they had were made in Taiwan. Went to Kragen and they had two and one is China made(no thankyou). The other is made in either USA or Canada. I ordered the drums made in North America.

Question, do new drums have to be turned? Or do you just install them?

 

just install them

 

Thanks John.