• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

8" or 9" Drums how to tell the difference

B

BlackE1

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Aug 17, 2002
Messages
514
Location
Genoa City WI
I am in need of a rear brake job and i am having a hard time determining the drum size with out removal and measuring the inner diameter.
I have measured the exterior of the drum and it is about 9.5-9.75". But as you know measuring the exterior can be different based on the manufacture and how thick they cast the wall.

Is there any verification on the drum to determine 100% what size they are?
 
blu_fuz said:
If you have the vin, a dealership might be able to tell you.
Click to expand...

According to BAT: Rear drum equipped 1995-96 cars are equipped with 203 x 38mm (8")
rear drums, but 1997-2001 cars are a mix of the 203 x 38mm (8") and larger 228 x
45mm (9") drums. his is probably a manufacturing supply issue when the cars
were built and the only way to determine which rear drum/shoe set is on you
car is to check before ordering parts.

Wikipedia Ford Mondeo posting - North America got an SE "Sport" Version of the Contour, which featured exclusive wheels and the coveted 9" Sport Drum rear brakes.

Wonder if this is true, only the SE models had the 9" rear drums?
 
I do have an SE. I called Ford and the first dealer was great help he said my VIN was not an actual car and gave up. The second dealer i called transferred me to another department which didn't answer the phone.

i looked on amazon and the 8" and 9" drums look different the 8" has a chamfer at the edge and the 9" doesn't i wonder if that is a way to determine?
 
If you're getting that much over nine even I'd bet they're the nine inch ones. Unless you have some whopper cooling fin flanges on the edge. No eight inch drums are gonna have an almost one inch thickness to them.
 
They do not have any cooling fins on the out side, these are factory drums. I guess I will end up removing a drum and hopefully can re install it with out any damage, then order parts since local parts stores prices are about double or more then online.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top