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Installing '65C emergency brake shoes...and new discs/drums

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:17 pm
by Roger Bowley
I feel like Colombo...just one more thing. I have just installed rebuilt shoes (NLA) and new rear drums/discs (Stoddard-Sebro NLA-352-401-11). Followed the repair manual...released the tension adjustment at the front of the car...but the drums are hard to turn. The passenger side is better than the driver side but still too tight. I have checked the shoes and they look like they are aligned properly and are at zero adjustment at the star adjuster. While posing this question, I'm wondering if I need to measure the diameter of the shoes and compare with the diameter of the drums? In the old days, I know that brake shoes had to be arced to the drums but I don't think that would be the case here, no? Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? Thanks, Roger Bowley

Re: Installing '65C emergency brake shoes...and new discs/dr

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 6:11 pm
by Dave Wildrick
Roger Bowley wrote:I feel like Colombo...just one more thing. I have just installed rebuilt shoes (NLA) and new rear drums/discs (Stoddard-Sebro NLA-352-401-11). Followed the repair manual...released the tension adjustment at the front of the car...but the drums are hard to turn. The passenger side is better than the driver side but still too tight. I have checked the shoes and they look like they are aligned properly and are at zero adjustment at the star adjuster. While posing this question, I'm wondering if I need to measure the diameter of the shoes and compare with the diameter of the drums? In the old days, I know that brake shoes had to be arced to the drums but I don't think that would be the case here, no? Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? Thanks, Roger Bowley
You may not be doing anything wrong. There have been "issues" in the past with relined e-brake shoes for the C cars. Evidently, some suppliers have made the linings 5mm thick, whereas they should be only 3mm thick. I had mine done on my 64C coupe by Heitman Company here in Houston, TX about 7 years ago. I believe they also arced them to fit the drum/disc.
See the following posts from 10 yrs ago:

Subject: Relining Brake Shoes
From: "Vince Cappelletti" <vincecappelletti@prodigy.net>
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 10:35:53 -0500

John & Listers,
On 13 May, last year, Bill Sargent from Houston alerted us to the fact that
he had his rear hand-brake shoes for his "C" Cabriolet relined @ Heitman
Company, 1422 McCarty, Houston TX, 77029. Tel: 714-675-9001,
or:800-392-3311. POC is Roger Dickey. Bill also obtained an estimate to do
regular shoes for A & B type cars @ $18.00 a shoe, or $144.00 for a complete
set.
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I'd suggest that you either tell Dave Zonnevile @ Stoddard's to get with the
program, or ask for your shoes back and send them to Houston. Sure can't
drive your car with the brake-shoes up in Willoughby.
----------
Just my $0.02 worth
Thanks for Keeping the Faith, though sometimes it's a little difficult.
Vince Cappelletti
65/C CAB, #161990
Bonita Springs, FL.

Subject: Re: Relining Brake Shoes
From: "Penny & Bill Sargent" <sargent1@ev1.net>
Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2001 22:20:28 -0600

Thanks to Vince for re-posting my original message on the brake shoe
relining place here in Houston. I will add that Heitman Co. redid the
parking brake shoes on my C in two days (yes, you read that right - 2 days).
They were rebuilt units from Stoddard but the lining that had been installed
was 5 mm thick and they would not fit in the rear disc/drum units. Research
using old brake lining spec books That Roger Dickey at Heitman had and
measuring the lining on a NOS shoe showed that the linings needed to be 3 mm
thick. Heitman Co's main business is relining large truck brakes, but they
also do quite a bit of business relining all kinds of classic vehicle brake
shoes.

I would suggest that anyone needing brake shoes relined give Roger Dickey at
Heitman a call. No affiliation other than a very satisfied customer.

Bill Sargent

Re: Installing '65C emergency brake shoes...and new discs/dr

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 4:11 am
by Bill Sargent
Roger,

Based on what you describe I would first check the thickness of the brake shoe lining. Dave posted my info from 10+ years ago and that was indeed the problem then. Once I got the parking brake shoes with the correct thickness lining they installed and adjusted with no problem. Still working great 11 years later.