Non Burn Asbestos Brakes advertisement did brakes used to burn ?

[Mark Gregory]

I came across this ad.   What did they use before asbestos.

 

[keiser31]

They used a woven fabric for the shoe surfaces.

[gossp]

And it could burn. 
 

more likely than creating a fire that would damage the car is that the soot from the burning polished the lining and the friction coefficient started to resemble glass. 

[Rusty_OToole]

In another thread someone said before asbestos, band brakes were lined with leather. Cone clutches were lined with leather too, and were supposed to be dosed with neat's foot oil from time to time.

[padgett]

And before that there was wood.

[edinmass]

We have Tommy Manville’s P1.

[DavidMc]

I have a 2 cylinder brass era Maxwell that has oak wood blocks on the transmission bands.  I have been told that the brakes originally used the same oak wood blocks,  They were shaped to the radius of the brake drum and riveted on in small segments.  

[JRHaelig]

San Francisco cable cars still use wooden brake shoes.  They have to change them very frequently.