I've been in the brake business for years. I used to reline all brake shoes myself, from rolls of Bendix lining, remove old rivets and burn off bonded. Two years ago, I did a brake job on my F100; don't have my rivet machine any more, so I bought a set of Raybestos shoes, (NAPA) kitted my cylinders, and turned my drums. Shoes had the usual .010" 'rock' (contact at center, .005" clearance at each end per shoe) When I adjusted the brakes, all was fine, bled them, and had a GREAT pedal height. Then I drove it...Holy Hannah, it took MORE pedal pressure to stop than if they were wet! I drove it all that week, hoping they'd 'wear in', but knew better. I had a 'drum and lining condition'. Two months later, I returned the Raybestos linings, my old friend that owns the NAPA store traded me straight across for new Bendix. I had another pair of drums that I turned, so arced the Bendix linings and re-assembled and adjusted. Same act! This truck's harder to stop than having sex! I heard (or read) somewhere that there is a 'Pink lining' available in lengths (or on shoes) Anybody know of this? OR of Chinese quality lining on Raybestos or Bendix shoes lately? When I had the shop, there were customers that would ask if I could (would) install their bargain bought brake shoes. (I called the stuff Japanese linoleum) I refused to install anything but Bendix. Now look...
I think it is the material that they have to use now that asbestos isn't in the shoes anymore and thank god for that as I probably have enough brake dust in my lungs to do in the whole HAMB. I just redid the brakes on the wife's van and it doesn't want to stop any way near like I want it to stop.
The only time I experienced extreme hard pedal was about 25 years ago when the vacuum booster developed an air/vacuum leak which in turn caused the booster to do nothing. It reminded me of when you are forced to a stop after the engine has died at speed, Without the engine vacuum to aide in powering the brakes the pedal feels even harder than standard or manual brakes alone.
Sounds like some of that "E.P.A. lining".... Nowhere near the friction quality of that "good stuff" we're all used to....... 4TTRUK
so, thanks to the EPA, we're gonna die car in crashes instead of from asbestos induced lung cancer? now there's progress for you! Ray
The Jalopy Journal
