HEATED RIMS

sounds like you've a dragging brake or two...get genuine FoMoco shoes...or was it "ford Rotunda"....anyways OEM or the like...back off the star wheel adjusters a turn...your friction should not be an addiction then~

Did you get the dual-cylinder retrofit with disc brakes up front taken from a more recent design?

One thought is to check the length of the adjustable rod from the Brake pedal to the Master Cylinder. Tries, wheels, brakes all get hot from normal operation. Friction from the linings to brake surfaces transfer kinetic energy into heat energy and slow the vehicle down. Friction from the tires on the asphalt also creates heat. Wheels, brakes and tires are supposed to get hot - are you experiencing something abnormal? Smoking components or warped brake parts?

with a big monster V8 one could hardly tell the brakes are draggin'----the "star" wheel adjuster...such fond memories...still have three star wheel adjustment tools in my toolbox for this~

With every thing you have said about it, I can only conclude you must have brakes dragging slightly. I don't understand how though, if you have changed the shoes etc. unless you didn't adjust them right.

1961 was a very good year.~

1961- if equipped with rubber brake hose going to the brakes calipers it could have collapsed internally not allowing the fluid to bleed off when brake pedal is released.

a one way fluid street...I'll buy that one...yes new hoses of modern materials please~

Rubber hoses could well be the problem but regardless, the 61-64 didn'[t have disk brakes, just druns.

wondered about a retrofit----but am guessing no by the response~

Yea I didn't really think so but was just throwing it out there just in case it had the rubber hoses. Have had old brake hoses drive me nuts while trouble shooting hot brake issues. Changed everything but them and it all turned out to be a five dollar brake hose issue. Now I check them first.