VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 Brake relining

I am looking to reline all the brakes on my 28 sedan. What thickness of pad is best, and are there any gotchas to look out for?

rear outside bands are 3/16"....yeah, there are some gotchas!

Hi Betsy,

I would recommend you have the work done by professionals. They will use the woven brake lining material that is needed to have reliable brakes.

If you don't have a relining shop in your area I can get them done for you. Bad side is the shipping both ways. Expect to pay approximately $150.00 per band if you have not performed the preliminary work.

Any questions you may contact me direct.

Plan to take the bands in to a shop near you, just follow the directions in your shop repair manual to remove and install the re-lined bands and shoes (front) Check with an independant auto parts store owner-manager, most of the ones that sell to local old car folks have a vendor that will provide the service. My local store charged me $75 to do both rear service bands once I took them to the store. When you reinstall them be sure that the brake rods and cross shafts are working freely from the peddle to the adjusting clevices at the brake arms, also be sure to align the arms in the band connectors and adjust the drum to band clearance, the clearance will also have to be re-adjusted after a few miles of break in.

I am in the Greensboro, NC area. Can anyone recomend a shop close by?

Betsy, try

Gary Wallace
600 Susan Road.
St. Louis,Missouri 63129
(314) 293-1991

E-Mail
chev4cyl@charter.net

Thanks for all the help.

Gary said he is going to get the service going within the next tow months. Prices were reasonable (about $325 for all 6 surfaces).

Betsy, That sounds much better than rolling off the road and down a mountain side at 60MPH with a screaming female sitting next to you in the passanger seat!

Now if I can only get them adjusted correctly again. Have any of you used the tool in the shop manual? Does it work well? Also, a coulpe of my clevises are rusted solid to the rod, any suggestions for a good rust remover?

betsy:
you may try a place close to you , it'S in RANDLEMAN NC, down town on main st.its an old firestone store [not name firestone any more]on the right as you come into down on old 220..this store open in 1948 and you be suprise at the old parts in there..i bet he have the parts and got somebody that can do the work..he offer to make up a set of shoes for my 36 buick...losen bolts with PB PENETRATING CATALYST..ALSO KNOWN AS FABULOUS BLASTER.. SAY HELLO TO RICHARD PETTY WHILE YOU THERE [sorry he wasn't a chevy man lol]

PB Blaster is as good as I have found, I would soak them ever day or two, try to break them a little each way, go slow and easy, These old cars take time to get going. The Model "A" vendors often stock rods and clevises, I don't doubt that they could be used or modified for use on a Chevrolet, In a pinch I have made one from 1/2 " by 3/16 flat material bent to shape with a nut welded in place, over a drilled & tapped hole then bend the sides to shape and and the holes drilled for the pin. It is a lot of work unless you are a decent blacksmith (which I ain't)

The clevis and clevis pin are available from "The Fillingstation". The clevis is $3.00 and the pin is 75 cents.

Hi Betsy from "down under",
When you go to get your brake bands re-lined,TRY and get them done with the old style woven asbestos type of lining(Most likely it's a banned substance over there as it is here).Most types of modern woven lining are based on a fibreglass mix,and besides being too hard,you cannot get the same co-efficient of friction on the original pressed steel drums.
If you use modern lining,you'll have to use excessively hard pedal pressure,and the glass content is VERY abrasive to the steel drums.A couple of my mates here in Australia have tried the new style of lining,and it's just no good for our old style brakes.It's nearly like skating on ice!There is very little friction between the lining and the drum.It(the modern lining)would work real good on cast iron drums,but would still be VERY abrasive.
Hope this may point you in the right direction.
Kevin.

I'm afraid we have the same asbestos issue here that you have there. That said, what is the best type of material to use? Has anyone had simular experiances to Kevin?

Candle wax works better than BP for me. Try heating with a tourch then melt wax on the threads.
Kenw