Brake shoes

[Ivor Prentice]

Hello,
having been persuaded to have my shoes re lined a while ago (firms name escapes me but the one everyone recommends) as I was having problems with rivets.
I find though the rear alloy shoes fit but the front steel ones won’t allow the drums to fit.
I have of course slackened every adjustment and even removed cables but the drums won’t fit over the shoes. I seem to be left with either removing some of the friction material or removing some metal from the shoe bearing surfaces. I don’t really fancy either... any thoughts please.?
Thanks.

[Howard Wright]

Hi Ivor

Safetek is the lining firm.  I’ve just had a set of alloy shoes done and four steel Girling shoes lined.  I posted recently that some existing Girling shoes I had had linings too thick to take the 7” drums. The Safetek ones fit fine so I am surprised that yours don’t.

Try and put the shoes in a drum off the car to see if they are touching anywhere and are the same curvature.  I think it is permissible to lightly abrade fresh linings to fit the drums. Also check that the drums are not distorted.

Cheers

Howard

[Ivor Prentice]

Thanks Howard,
Shoes seem to fit the drum well. It seems removing some material is the only option. Cheers.

[richard wyatt]

Measure the thickness of the linings,should be 4mm or less.I had endless trouble with 5mm[including fit]until I realised.

[Greig Smith]

Ivor always remove some of the friction lining material, you can have the shoes re-lined, but you can't "add" metal to the drums and the thinner the drums become the more prone they are to distortion or "ovalling" if the hand brake is pulled on had to hot thin drums.

I've had success in fitting stubborn shoes by filing the surface with a flat metal file to get the linings to fit the drums, but a far better solution is to take the drums & shoes to a brace place who can arc them to fit the drums

Aye
Greig

[Bob Culver]

Because the Seven shoes are not free to self centre as moderns, fitting by filing, abrasive paper or whatever to the drums in place is likely to be superior. Beware asbestos esp if NOS . With the Girling shoes previous may have filed the pivot cutout, distorting the seating.

[Tony Griffiths]

Here's the answer; brake shoes with linings turned true on a Myford "High-Swing" lathe, as carried in some Ferodo race-support vans during the 1950s: http://www.lathes.co.uk/myfordcapstan

[Paul N-M]

Ivor,
You possibly did not see my recent thread Brake Brake Brake! which showed pictures of my DIY bedding in tool.
It may be of some help.

Paul N-M

[AustinWood]

I use the simple system as mentioned by Bob.
Driving the car only a short distance is enough to mark high areas on the linings clearly. It only take a few minutes to remove the drum and file off all the rubbed area.
Repeating this 2 or 3 times results in the linings bearing evenly over the whole face.
It is essential to have good drums otherwise the brakes will never be good.