I've just had my spare front brake shoes relined with soft road use linings by a well-known professional company - in an effort to improve the front brake performance. Today I went to swap out the current shoes and fit these new ones - but I cannot get them to go in. I've got the nut fully loose on the fulcrum pin and the brake cable disconnected. There is no dirt or swarf in the pivot or operating cam. But the assembly refuses to go into the drum.
I have tried reversing the new shoes - it made no difference.
The drum has no wear ridges.
The linings on the shoes I have taken out are just less the 3mm thick. The new linings on the shoes I am trying to fit are 4mm thick. 4mm seems to be the norm for new shoes - so theoretically they should slide in...
Has anyone got any bright ideas - at the moment my plan is to start filing away the lovely new linings...
I used an electric pad sander to gently go round and round each shoe until they both went in , bedded in nicely
Quote from: Tigerfeet on 27 Sep, 2026, 17:51 I've just had my spare front brake shoes relined with soft road use linings by a well-known professional company - in an effort to improve the front brake performance. Today I went to swap out the current shoes and fit these new ones - but I cannot get them to go in. I've got the nut fully loose on the fulcrum pin and the brake cable disconnected. There is no dirt or swarf in the pivot or operating cam. But the assembly refuses to go into the drum.
I have tried reversing the new shoes - it made no difference.
The drum has no wear ridges.
The linings on the shoes I have taken out are just less the 3mm thick. The new linings on the shoes I am trying to fit are 4mm thick. 4mm seems to be the norm for new shoes - so theoretically they should slide in...
Has anyone got any bright ideas - at the moment my plan is to start filing away the lovely new linings...
I had same issue with well known re-lining company that deal by post. I contacted them and they took them back and returned them and they fitted. `Had I had access to a lathe at the moment I would have done the hacksaw blade around the cam trick and turned them down to size.
Quote from: neil1964 on 27 Sep, 2026, 21:43 Quote from: Tigerfeet on 27 Sep, 2026, 17:51 `Had I had access to a lathe at the moment I would have done the hacksaw blade around the cam trick and turned them down to size.
Now I'm intrigued!
How does this trick work?
You pack the shoes out a bit then turn them into the drum, then you take the packer out and they should fit into the drum and be the correct dia when the brake lever is pulled.
Will they fit with some "aggressive" chamfering?
I suggest talk to the supplier before working on the linings.
Are your spare shoes the same type as the old ones..?
You could try measuring them back to back. Put them vertically next to each other on the flat Melamine Kitchen Table, and see if they are within 1mm of each other.
If they are a long way apart, maybe the pivot points, and/or the cam flats need some machining.
4mm new, and yours are 3mm, means they are only 75% worn... :) :)
Seems to be a lot of mountains being made out of this particular molehill. I've found that the shoes always need some fettling to fit, and clearly being slightly oversized (to allow for said fettling) is obviously better than being under-sized.
I use a large slow speed grinding wheel (intended for lathe tool sharpening etc) and pass the shoes using the sides of the wheel to retain a flat surface across the shoe. Use a magic marker or chalk to see where those high spots are.
A 12" bastard would be equally as effective.
I've found the edges tend to be the problem and filing some chamfers on the leading and trailing edges and sides helps. Reducing the area with the chamfers also speeds the bedding in as there's more pressure.