Soft Compound Brake Shoes?

[Dirka]

Greetings peoples!

Which of the various brands of brake shoes did you find to be the softer ones?

I really need to fix the..
go-run-and-look-for-the-AWOL-Hilux-because-the-handbrake-is-shait..

I have the TOY OEMs on now. They look glazed.
Want to replace and maybe try a softer type shoe that can grip better.

[Mud Dog]

I've used ATE for many years without any problems but I think that Ferodo is a softer compound.

Your handbrake issues are however not related to the compound of the brake shoe lining. It just needs to be set up correctly which needs to be checked as the shoes wear down. My handbrake holds very well on both forward or reverse inclines.

Follow the correct procedure to set it up and you should also have a good handbrake. It's been discussed here before at length.

[Mars]

I agree with Andy.
The compound of the shoes is not your issue. Just for interest sake my experience with Ferrodo vs ATE relates to brake pads and not shoes and the ATEs are definitely softer.

Just to add. The only way that a brake shoe or pad can glaze is if it overheats severely. This is far more likely with brake pads than shoes as the front brakes work much harder. If they did indeed glaze it could be due to you fitting standard size brake shoes in worn drums. The shoes would then make contact with the drums in specific spots rather than over the full surface and it is possible that it could overheat in those spots or if there are grooves worn into the drums then in the areas where there are lands.

This would also be the reason why the handbrake does not hold optimally as the bearing surface is smaller. Your solution would be to have the drums skimmed and to have them re-line the shoes at the same time. They then shape the lining material for the shoes to fit perfectly in the drums.

If the shoes do fit well then there is an easily accessible adjustment mechanism on the handbrake cables under the bakkie. More towards the right hand side of the vehicle.

I always use Silverton Radiators in Voorhamer street Silverton. They also do brake and clutch.

[Mud Dog]

True that - you should check the drums out and clean the mechanisms by pouring a kettle of boiling water over them on each side. You should put the rear on jack-stands so that you can work properly and remove the wheels. First chock the front wheels before jacking up the rear and then release the handbrake. Then slack off the auto adjusting ratchet by a couple of clicks so that the drums come off easily without catching on the shoes. (Access the ratchet through the inspection hole in the backing plate.)

If the drums look OK and the shoes are not worn to the point of replacement, put it all back, make sure the drums are firmly seated, put the wheels back on and bolt them up. With the vehicle still on the stands, slack off the handbrake adjustment completely so that the cable is slack (the adjuster will be in the area under the drivers seat) - the handbrake should still be released in the cab. Then go back to the auto adjust ratchets and one wheel at a time click them up until the shoes just start to grip - you should be able to turn the wheel fairly easily and feel only a small amount of resistance.

Once you have done both sides, go back to the handbrake adjustment and tighten that up again so that you have only about 7 clicks of the handbrake lever in the cab. Take it off the stands and you're done. You should have a good working handbrake.

[Dirka]

Jeez guys thanks for taking the time to reply.
I first did what uncle Andy said by first going through the entire
adjustment indaba with the current drums and shoes.
That unfortunately did not provide much results.
So I'll be getting the new shoes and sort out the drums then.

Just a question.
I understand that by getting the drums skimmed they effectively increase in inner diameter.
So that would call for a re-line on the shoes.
Isn't it then maybe better to rather just opt for new drums
so that you can just work with off-the-shelf shoes?
I don't really now the cost...are they that expensive?

[Mud Dog]

Dirk, I'm not sure that it makes that much of a difference to the curvature of the drum vs the shoes. When skimming, they take such a small amount off, it's minimal - unless the drums are warped oval.

When I think about it, I've never had the need to skim drums - I've ground the lips off myself on occasion, but that's it. Then think of the normal wear that creates the lip - that's already a good few millimetres over time, and they still fit standard shoes. They bed themselves in fairly quickly.

If a drum is oval by any significant amount, you would notice it when braking, so if it's not warped and if the wear is not too bad, I wouldn't bother skimming or changing the drums. I'd just carefully grind the lip off and give them a quick once over with 500 grit water paper on the friction surface to clean them up. (What mileage have you done on them?)

Shoes on the other hand I would replace, they're not expensive. One can try and clean them up a bit with 100 or 200 grit paper for a temporary fix in an emergency situation to take off the glazing, but it's normally not worth the effort.