my brake drums seem a little beat up. the interior of them has a line of rust on it. can i sand that off or do i need to replace them?

 

Is there a lip on the outer edge?

Hard to tell from my phone, but prolly not a bad idea.

 

There is. Might order some new ones off of summit

 

I made the mistake of reusing brake drums with a lip along the outside, several 1000 miles later i couldnt get them off and had to drill out the pins that hold the pads on. If there appears to be plenty of metal left you can sand down the lip OR get them turned at a shop

 

Turned is possible if they havn't reached max diameter, the max diameter is marked upon the face edge of the drum. They will be thinner and have been thru heat cycles in use, can warp out of round easier than new. With drums it is better to pay more and get the "premium" qualtiy drum. They are better castings. Better longevity, wear, even braking, and dimensional stability if your keeping the XJ for the long run. Don't skimp on the shoes qualtity either.