Drums and shoes or shoes alone?

I'm curious. Can you replace your brake shoes without replacing the drums or do they need to wear together?

[Part Time Dweller]

It really isn't recommended to put the old drums on new shoes.

The shoes will not last as long or have the grip they should as they have to wear themselves in to match any grooves in the drum.

Drums can be resurfaced usually once,, but by the time you find a place that still cuts truck drums and pay to have it done, you will find that a new drum isn't really that much more.

[special k]

For optimum brake life and performance the shops usually recommend changing them as a set. For my trailer I measure them, check for grooves and heat cracks and reuse them if they're ok. For my tractor I put new drums on with the shoes.

[Mackmechanic]

If the drum isnt cracked or grooved, you can usually get by with 1 drum for every 2 sets of brakes

But if you're doing severe duty work, Id just go ahead and do shoes and drums every time

Ok, thanks everyone for the answers. I'm not ready for brakes yet but wanted to know.

[bob h]

I'm curious. Can you replace your brake shoes without replacing the drums or do they need to wear together?

when installing new shoes, the drums must be at least 0.030" under the discard spec... i.e. - on a 16.5" drum (like we currently see on tractor drives and wagon wheels) the drum should not be beyond 16.590" for re-use.

this is a spec for the remaining friction surface.... obviously, you would also need to inspect the condition of the drum

[allan5oh]

When you do your brakes, I suggest doing EVERYTHING.

Brake hardware kit, s-cams, s-cam bushings, seals, wheel seal, maybe even bearings. They're cheap enough.

That way you know everything is good, and won't be pulling it apart 1-2 years later because your s-cam bushings are shot.

If slacks are fine, don't bother changing them. They're easy enough to change.

I did all my brakes for about $1500? Somewhere around there, maybe a little more. That's of course with my labor.

[sodbuster]

Allen or you talking truck and trailer? Do they both use the same type shoes and breaks.

[allan5oh]

truck.

Company owned trailers, never worked on them.

[Maniac]

No the trailer uses a different drum and shoe, same basic design.

Most tractors use the same, for example I have Eaton rears and use Eaton brakes in my KW, since any truck can have an Eaton rear, they will use the same parts.

[sodbuster]

My trucks a KW also. I think I have seen drums adverised on the e-flyer for KW for about 80 or 90 each. My truck came from Canada it has a lot of rust on the drums. and one of the drive axle brakes would'nt release after appling air to the system. Finally got it to break loose and pulled apart could not belive how much rust and coorison was on the drum. Do you guys run with the dust covers on or off. Heard that the brakes can disapate the heat better with them off.

[silvan]

Do you guys run with the dust covers on or off. Heard that the brakes can disapate the heat better with them off.

I've never actually seen a dust cover in my entire career. Does anybody run them? Does any new equipment actually come with them?

[Maniac]

Usually dump trucks have dust covers, to keep out the foreign objects, I don't have them on my KW, most road tractors don't.

The rust on the outside doesn't mean anything, I usually replace the drums every other brake job.

Last Sept I did brakes and drums, I think it was around $125 a wheel, and my own labor, took around 1/2 a day on a Sat.

[special k]

When I worked at Laidlaw they did an experiment with dust covers on and off their trailers. They found they got a third more brake life when they ran dust covers. I run dust covers on everything. Plus if the dOT wants to check your brakes they'll actually have to get down on a creeper as opposed to just peering under the trailer on a walk around.

[Doghouse]

I have dust covers on my 9400, it seems like DOT will have to get on ther ground to check them.

[bob h]

I have dust covers on my 9400, it seems like DOT will have to get on ther ground to check them.

most trucks i've ever worked on have them ; i've never seen a new truck without them... ever

now trailers seem to be a little different...

[Mackmechanic]

I have dust covers on my 9400, it seems like DOT will have to get on ther ground to check them.

most trucks i've ever worked on have them ; i've never seen a new truck without them... ever

now trailers seem to be a little different...

I've yet to see a new mack with them :?

I just did brakes on an 8 month old truck today... no dust coveres, re-used the drums took an hour to do the back axle