1936 Oldsmobile F-36 Brake shoes....

[philipj]

Looking for replacement brake shoes for my 36 Olds F-36 and coming a little short... Both half sets 410189 (shoe/Lining) and 231588 (Lining only) are not around, but I did find another reference... A Wagner 287 DF (lining only) as well as Thermoid 287 D. With that information I concluded that I might be able to use some 1950 Ford F1 (1/2 ton) shoes below WAGNER Z55 DR... Originals are on the first photo. Brake drums are 11". Primary shoe length is 9-1/2" and secondary is 11-1/4". Width is 2".

 

Anyone tried them or something similar?

 

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by philipj (see edit history)

[philipj]

Just figured that the Wagner Z55 DR's are only 1-1/2" wide...;(  But will these work? 58 Ford Fairlane...

 

https://cgfordparts.com/front-brake-shoes-11-x-2-see-listings-191-2001.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwh8mlBhB_EiwAsztdBE45bYdLzj6qDouD9F1l-qi_kK4cRbTYeJvdYv8thjjj--ShAjSzxRoC8JoQAvD_BwE

[Bloo]

I doubt it but I am not sure. While the Bendix brakes on Pontiacs and Buicks and *probably* Oldsmobiles are the same basic design used well into the early 70s on Ford, Mopar, AMC, etc., It is my understanding there is a showstopping change. I have not personally verified this, so take it with a huge grain of salt. Look *very very closely* at the location of semicircle that rests against the anchor pin at the top. If those pictures in your post are representative of 36 Oldsmobile vs whatever is available off the shelf, you can see the problem that has been described to me, noting that the second picture is upside down. The position (up/down) of the anchor pin (at the very top when the picture is not upside down) is wrong.

 

The anchor pin on the backing plate of later brakes is precision located during manufacture and not adjustable, and yours probably is adjustable, but I doubt it would move enough to compensate for the difference you see there, and if it did it probably would probably have no adjustment left. 

 

Secondly, are you sure they are 11" brakes? Not 12" like Buick and Pontiac?

 

Thirdly, Your brakes also probably have an eccentric at the center of one shoe for centering the whole assembly front/rear. more modern versions of Bendix brakes omit this entirely, but since your version has it I think you'll have to use it. Look closely at the spot where it bumps on the new shoe and see if the new shoe looks compatible. I do not expect you will have any trouble with this one, but look.

 

If you have the old parts in your possession, consider sending them out for relining, along with the drums, and also getting the new linings arc ground to match the actual drum size. Two possibilities for companies who can probably handle this are:

 

Brake and Equipment (of Minneapolis) - https://brakeandequipment.com/machine-shop/

 

Brake and Clutch (of Seattle) - (206) 622-5655  (I would post the website, but it seems horribly broken.)

[philipj]

Hello Bloo,

I saw the photo being upside down and tried to correct, but when I posted the photo online the correction I made I reversed back to original for some reason… In any case, I now see what you mean about the shape of the semicircle on top… It is not the same as in the original shoe.... Darn!

 

For size confirmation, I am attaching a photo of the front drum…😉

 

Correct my friend, there is an eccentric to one side for adjustment… I imagine that as you lock all shoes to one side and then release, that centers all shoes within the drum…

 

I have reached out to two companies, I always try to stay local, but it is not always the cheapest…

www.industrialbrakeclutch.com

 

They quoted $65 per shoe, which I thought it was outrageous, so I reached out to:

https://allfrictions.com/aboutus.html

 

and I will see what they say… The funny thing is that the first company said nothing about sending the drums…. Knowing that we’re dealing with antique vehicles, do they make allowances for wear of the drums and maybe make the shoes slightly thicker? Or they just go by the original specs of the shoe when new? … Quite certain is the latter. Any other concerns about seating, centering or wear of the brake drum is not their problem…

I will reach out to Break and Equipment Warehouse and see what they say also… Thank you for the recommendation… I hope this does not get too complicated. In the old days you would just take your shoes to Midas and be done with it!...

 

Edited July 17, 2023 by philipj (see edit history)