Current brake shoe options

[Wedgewood64]

It's about time to replace the brake shoes. I've seen relatively little on good options in the forum. Some recommendations about finding NOS asbestos. I'm sure that would provide the best stop; still, I admit I'd like to keep asbestos out of the garage if possible. I'm having a hard time imagining that everyone out there (who hasn't converted to disk) (and who likes to stop) is running NOS asbestos. Is there no second best? 

[mobileparts]

There is NO second best.... ++ N.O.S. ++ Asbestos ++ is far and away the best.... Simply, the nicest, softest, smoooooothest braking system known to mankind...  And it doesn't rip up Brake Drums to smithereens....

 

This new garbage is just that... Garbage.  Asbestos Laws govern the world, but ++ Asbestos ++ Braking can simply just NOT be duplicated....

 

That being reality, what vehicle's brakes do you need??? I have several thousand sets of ++ N.O.S. ++ Asbestos ++ Brake Shoes, on purpose....

But not every single application, as certain numbers I can't FIND !!!! Fast

Enough......

 

Always best to simply call me ---- Craig ---- 516 - 485 - 1935.... New York...

 

As far as worrying about Asbestos in your garage.... It is trivial.... It is NOT like you are lining an entire school with it !!!!! R-E-L-A-X......

Edited May 8, 2020 by mobileparts
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[RivNut]

Just don't use compressed air to clean the dust from the brake parts next time you have to work on them.  

[Wedgewood64]

Thanks Craig and Ed. I'm still curious, though.

 

Let's say we view the health risk as minimal. There are still some practical and technical things I don't understand. Practically: there are really enough NOS pads out there to keep running everyone's drums into the future? I'm glad to have Craig as a source; but I don't know, looking around I can't see lots of other sellers. And why would people go to the trouble and expense of having their old drums relined if it commits them to using a dwindling stock of pads? Technically, I guess I don't understand what makes the new, harder pads fail on our drums but (presumably) work on newer ones.

 

Anyone have a ballpark idea of how many owners of 60s Rivs have converted to disc? I'd imagine still a minority? And then they'd still run drums on the rear; with what pads?

[KongaMan]

I dunno about any of that, but...  I just put new (i.e. non-asbestos) shoes on the Riv a year or two ago, and it stops just fine.  Put it this way: if I slam my foot into the pedal, it will put your face into the windshield.  What else do you want? 

 

Will they chew up my drums noticeably faster? Skeptical -- but I'll be dead by then in any event. 

[Wedgewood64]

Huh, when I had regular Bendix in the car it wouldn't stop well, and I've read similar things here. Then Russ @ Centerville put in some relined shoes--not sure of the lining--and since then it has stopped I'd say pretty well (rear brakes tend to lock up). Anyway.

[RivNut]

If the arc of the drum and of the shoes don't match for the complete circumference of the drum, you'll have a very small contact patch.  Buy your shoes from a reputable brake shop and have the "arc" the shoes so they match the drum.  Then 100% of the shoe's braking surface will be in contract with the drum.

[KongaMan]

You can see that contact patch on new shoes.  They will eventually wear to fit, though.  And you can always accelerate that on the rear by driving around with the parking brake on.  

[telriv]

Good luck on finding a shop with the equipment to "arc" the shoes.  It's become a lost art & most of the equipment to do this job have long been lost in time.

[KongaMan]

Hell, most of these guys probably can't even service drum brakes.  All they know are discs.  Arcing shoes?  That's crazy talk.

[Bloo]

I found that non-asbestos shoes worked for me better than asbestos ever did. I sure wouldn't get wound up about it.

 

Arc grinding is one of the best things you can do to sort out drum brakes quickly, After the arc grinders were gone, you just had to let the shoes break in, and it took a while before things really started working right. Now that so few people daily drive their old cars, I suspect the shoes might never break in.

 

IMHO find somebody to arc-grind the shoes to fit your drums. I know it isn't easy. I know you will probably have to mail the shoes and drums off somewhere. I would call either Brake and Equipment (Minneapolis MN) or Brake and Clutch (Seattle WA). Probably one of them can do it. If not, they might know who can.

[1965rivgs]

  ANY heavy duty TRUCK brake/clutch supplier that has been around for awhile should still be arcing brake shoes to fit specific drum diameters. In the truck market there is more financial incentive to machine brake drums (as opposed to the automotive market) although as happened in the automotive aftermarket with brake drums/rotors, due to inexpensive offshore suppliers marketing new components, it is becoming more common place to simply replace all components which are original factory specs.

Tom Mooney

[KongaMan]

5 hours ago, Bloo said:

Now that so few people daily drive their old cars, I suspect the shoes might never break in.

This is true.  I put new shoes on the 63 a few years ago (don't remember when, but it's been a while).  I just replaced the fronts because a wheel cylinder leaked all over one of them.  Even though the car was driven regularly, they still weren't broken in; the contact patches were clear.  I suppose that if I'd been doing the daily stop-and-go work commute that wouldn't be the case, but when most of the driving is on semi-isolated country roads or freeways (i.e. recreational), there's not a lot of braking going on.

[RivNut]

It's the panic braking that you sometime might have to do that will make you wish that you'd arced those brake shoes.

[KongaMan]

That panic stop might take care of the arcing.  

[RivNut]

6 minutes ago, KongaMan said:

That panic stop might take care of the arcing.  

As in "do the arcing?"

[KongaMan]

Yepper.

 

Folks have done home arcing, rubbing the shoes against sandpaper glued to the inside of the drum.  Seems to me that might take a while, and I'd also wonder about abrasive getting stuck in the pads.

 

If someone is really fired up about this, a local auto repair shop that's been in business forever might have an arcing setup that they no longer use (maybe because no one knows what it is ).  You might be able to get it for a song.   

[Wedgewood64]

I'd think the panic stop might take care of matters in a different way, i.e., by getting rid of car and driver.

 

Anyway, all this arcing biz had me googling around. I did find a place in San Jose CA (formerly B&A Friction [like that name], but now bought by FleetPride; basically a truck place), they will both put on new pads, turn drums, and arc. But they wouldn't, for example, arc pads with asbestos in them. There's a closer mustang place with supposedly good brake work, I wasn't able to get through but will try.

 

In google, also saw videos of people using arcing machines, umpteen reports of people buying the old machines as KongaMan says, tricks with hammers and anvils, sandpaper, rasps; and then lots of people saying why bother, they'll wear in fine. It's a bit of a rabbit hole, like asking what oil one should use.

 

Will report back. nick

[1965rivgs]

"Anyway, all this arcing biz had me googling around. I did find a place in San Jose CA (formerly B&A Friction [like that name], but now bought by FleetPride; basically a truck place), they will both put on new pads, turn drums, and arc."

 This is an example of what I suggested in my post above. Any shop which services truck brakes should be able to do a professional job of arcing.

Tom Mooney

[Wedgewood64]

They did the job and I must say they stop very well. Haven't had to try a panic stop yet, but brakes felt strong from the first time out. Pads themselves ended up $126, arcing was $95.

One thing that was clear on taking the old ones out was that for some reason my back brakes were doing most of the work, which explains as well why they would lock up but the front never did. I'm not sure why the front ones weren't doing their job.

Anyway--I'm now a convert to arcing.

[OldGerman]

My front drum brakes do not work well. Changed over to a double MC, but had similar Problem with the single reservoir MC before. Brakes do have a Kind of fading.. When I hit the pedal from lets say 50 miles, brakes first react good and the nose dives in, but then it fades and it feels like it takes for ever to stop.

Still thinking about other problems ( air in the MC, stuck residual pressure valve,..?) but also thinking about changing the front Brake lining. Not a Lot of milage on them. I‘m not sure about Brake drum wear, never measured diameter. 

Is there a Brake lining you could recommend? There is quite a choice for 12x2.25“ brake shoes, but there is no oversize thickness offered. Just looked at Rockauto listing. 

Thank you for recommendation of better source. 

Frank.