my63vette

I have a 63 with standard non-power brakes and was wondering if anyone could recommend a good brand of brake shoe. I don't care about longevity and I want it to stop on a dime.


Thanks

Bluestripe67

I would research Wagner and Bendix. Don't forget, full performance comes with all brake components working as new. Also, not sure you will be stopping on a dime. Dennis

MikeM

'63 Corvette drum brakes in good working order will stop you on a dime. The 6.70 X 15 tires are the weak link.
Make sure your car has the correct size master cylinder on it. Even the cheap brake shoes will stop you quickly if the rest of the system is in correct working order.

I'm sure you'll get other suggestions for high dollar stuff that will make you feel like a plucked chicken.

GTOguy

I've had good results with Raybestos, in the red box. Be advised that you will need to drive the car several thousand miles to properly seat the shoes to the drums for 100% contact, as shoes are no longer arc-ground by installation shops to mate perfectly from the get-go. Softer shoes will bed in sooner.

63Corvette

I respectfully disagree. You need to HAND radius or contour the shoes yourself. It is easy to do, and driving several thousand miles with shoes which are not seating consistently is not a great idea.

GTOguy

I agree with you! You can even 'hammer arc' the shoes if you know what you're doing. In today's industry, though, shoes are merely installed and run right away, and often times will not seat in fully until driven awhile (hundreds or thousands of miles, depending on friction material). Good idea or bad idea, it is reality for the mass consumer with drum brakes. Since all modern cars have discs up front, and the fronts to 75% of the stopping load, rear drum shoes not fully seated in is usually not an issue in the real world.

MikeM

When I started driving legally on the highway in 1958 at 15 1/2 years old, I thought one of the most important things the car I was driving was good brakes that would stop you on a dime. Back then, everyone doing a good brake job routinely ground the shoes to fit the drums. Even at that, you could get about one good panic stop from 60 mph, maybe two and then brake fade set in.

Seems like once I got past 25-30 years old, panic, multiple braking was no longer a prioritiy for me. You can probably guess the reasons why if you are older than that 'cause you've been there, done that.

I have found that if a person that drives even a little aggressively and sometimes a little outside the law that cheap brake linings will stop you just fine and will bed themselves into an oversize, worn drum very quickly without any shoe grinding to fit the drum.

I have also found that since 5 panic stops in a row from 60 mph is no longer a priority for me, the most important thing about brakes is to have brakes that pull down evenly and modulate well.

Cheap linings will do just that.

Now, if you're a boy racer or drive like there is no tomorrow please ignore what I've posted.

SWCDuke

Any "name brand" replacement shoes will have modern non-asbestos linings that have performance characteristics very similar to the OE base brake linings.

Find a shop that has drum measuring tools, a drum turning machine and can "arc in" linings. They're still around since some modern cars still have rear drum brakes. Max drum ID after turning, if necessary, is 11.090".

While you're at it, especially if you don't have a history of brake fluid changes or the fluid looks like day old coffee, you should rebuild or replace the wheel and master cylinders, then do a complete fluid flush.

In normal road driving the shoes should last at least 40K miles, and with freshly rebuilt or new hydraulic components the chance of failure is very low for decades if you do a complete fluid flush every few years to purge absorbed moisture and other contaminants from the system.

Duke

Ironcross

moisture is the principle element that screws up brakes.....it forms rust and the rust cuts the rubber seals or cups inside the system