While we were doing the brakes on my cars this past summer, my mechanic friend
took the drums and linings home with him and during the week, he did arc them,
just like you explained, John. This also made it easier to put the drums on the
car after the new shoes were installed. With those great big cars and those old
fashion brakes we need all of the efficiency that we can get.
This also reminds me that while I was reading Larry's story about his '60
LeBaron Sedan in the Great Down Under, it was mentioned that the brake lights
didn't work, and neither did the brakes. On the '60 the brake light switch is
hydraulic and mounted on the front of the master cylinder. If the brakes don't
work, the stop lights won't either. When doing the brake job, be sure to
replace that switch. It isn't very expensive and it is available.
Paul
In a message dated 2/9/2004 10:09:21 PM Eastern Standard Time,
jsadowski@xxxxxxx writes:
> I remember the days when they used to arc the linings for the purpose of
>making full contact immediately with the drum. There were many shops that
>didn't do this procedure because in a short time, the linings wore to the
>shape of the drum. In the meantime, you had less effective braking.
> John
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Hugh & Therese
> To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Monday, February 09, 2004 8:27 AM
> Subject: IML: brake part sales & service liability
>
>
> Your problem with the sale of brake parts is at the far end of this nation's
>not irrational fear of litigation. I have never heard of an individual
>reshoeing his own brakes. The complications involved must surely need some
>rather intense technology.
>
> I am writing because the issue I had was even more inconvenient. When I had
>shoes fitted to the brakes of my 58 a few years ago, the shop had to make a
>best guess as to the required thickness as I could not find the specs. Well,
>they guessed wrong and the newly padded shoes would not fit inside the drum.
>Well, no one would trim them for me and I was told the pads could not be
>removed, which is logical as the glue they used was designed to withstand an
>inordinate amount of heat and friction. I was told I would have to buy new
>brakes shoes. Trimming the shoes was an environmental issue. The materials
>involved are pretty toxic and no one had a permit. To cut a short story long,
>I ended up trimming them myself. It was nasty and unpleasant and worst of
>all, very unscientific. I wore a breathing mask and goggles and used a fast
>spinning wire wheel type machine to wear away the material, and a micrometer
>to check the thickness. Keeping the depth regular was my biggest concern. I
>ended up doing the best job I could and am still using the shoes today.
>Friction from the drum has rendered the surface smooth, so I couldn't tell,
>the next time I had the car apart, any difference between the ones I trimmed
>down on one side of the car and the pads from the other
> side.
>
> Hugh
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