just want to double check on a few things. I just bought a new set of 10" drums for my 74 valiant 4dr, I have read that front drums are in fact 10" (on my car). Is this true??
What does changing the drums entail, I want to do it myself if possible, (save money for other build-ups). Is it just a pull off the old, and push on the new??

I know this has been said here before, and probably in every other forum as well, but there is nothing I can say that can impress upon everyone how important it is to purchase a vehicle repair manual for your specific model. I didn't know squat about removing an engine, much less how to work on one. My fifteen year old son and I did a complete overhaul of his slant six, all by ourselves. Same goes with the front suspension, we completely swapped out the drum system for a disk system.

Before tackling anything more major than changing plugs (maybe that's exaggerating a bit), at least buy a Haynes or Chilton manual, if you can't spring for the Factory Service Manual. You'll thank yourself many times. If you don't get one, you'll kick yourself in the butt many times for not getting one. Sure makes life a lot simpler.

Many times, it's going to be your own level of confidence in your skills and aptitude that answers the question about whether a task is going to be difficult or easy. Easy for some comes from having done it many times before. Difficult for some comes from not having proper tools or space to work. Available funds often come into play to help determine whether you want to tackle a job. We are working on a very limited budget to complete Aaron's Dart Sport. That just gives us a little more incentive to try things for ourselves.

Don't get me wrong, we don't just dive into things blindly. We do the research, determine what tools the job will take, make sure we purchase the replacement parts in time to check them for compatiblility, measure several times for fit, label everything we pull off, bag all the small parts, and keep our fingers crossed.

Whatever you do, make sure you have a plan. If necessary, modify the plan as you go along, but at least start with one. There's nothing worse than starting a project and realizing you have to drop everything to drive 20 miles to town and back because you don't have a hose clamp.

Make it easier and you'll enjoy it more,
Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

I appriciate your advice, but I do know the importance of preparedness especially of when you are working on your only car. I do have a Haynes manual, after reading what they call instruction on a drum replacement I still had many questions. That is why I asked anyone who has changed, or knew how to change drums for help. If there is a person who knows how to do this or knows what the task entails then I would appriciate your input, but if what I am looking for is found in the Haynes manual( which I have and is unclear to me) I guess then I am screwed and have to go to a shop...

Easy to find out, just pull off a drum, and measure the diameter of it from the smooth part where the brake shoes touch (not the very outer lip). Rockauto.com lists 9 and 10" drums for your car but I have a feeling the 10" drums only came on the v8's.

Did the new drums you bought come with the hub and wheel studs?

You don't have to measure the drums, they're marked with the max size, eg 10.090.
!0' drums can be on a slant6 car. I pulled a set off a '73 Duster last weekend.

Cecil

the reason why I asked was because the ones on my car I have not pulled off. Because it is my daily driver, I wanted to be sure before I removed the old ones to start the project. I went to the dealer today and was told that either 9" or 10" drums came on the car. I measured the circumferance of the drum on my car and likewise to the other, they matched. Would the circumferance be the same on both 9" and 10"??
( that is the circumferance of the outer ring) Due to the way the drum mounts to the shoe mech. (the gap, i guess )where it sets into the mech. casing could only be one thickness. therefore the outer circumferance would be different between the two sizes. (9" 10") if it matters i am working with the finned style