brake part sales & service liability

["jsadowski" <jsadowski@xxxxxxx>]

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