Broken Brake Shoe

powrus

Curious if anybody has had similar experience with broken brake shoes. With 6K on new shoes, my 3/4 T pick-up started clanking and locking up ... only to find the brake shoe bodies had broken into pieces and were rolling inside the drums, intermittently catching on something and causing unwanted braking.

Rehabber

It is more than likely that the hardware failed. Once pieces fall apart, all hell breakes loose inside tearing everything up. Or just may have been cheap parts. (Be careful where you buy parts, some companies sell inferior stuff.)

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powrus

Yeah, good point. I bought the brake kit at Autozone and didn't specify my preference of product ... other than provide my make and model of truck.

Thanks.

tgeb

Think you can take em back? maybe get a refund? Not good for brake parts to fail like that.

For the record I have a 1 ton ford and do all my own maintenance. I only by ford brake parts (pads and shoes).
Drums and rotors I will go after market but the OEM brakes are best. No squeal or chatter, and don't fall apart at 6K.

Extra money paid for good brakes is money well spent!

It ain't no fun when you car don't run....But your really effed it it don't stop!!

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powrus

Autozone took the broken shoes back and replaced them for no cost. That part was good ... the downtime and $40 labor for the indy shop to re-install them wasn't so good.

I SHOULD do more of my own maintenance on the truck. Must be gettin' too old and lazy.

AllGoNoShow

Cheap brake pads/shoes are glued, not riveted on, to the metal backing. It is very common to have the pads (or pieces of the pads) come off (at which time all hell with break loose and screw up the rest of the springs, adjustment wheel, etc.). Very Common....Always get riveted on brake pads if you expect to still have the car/truck more then a year or so.

Nick

powrus

Nick -

No problem with the shoes coming away from the metal backing. If you re-read my initial post, I mentioned that the cast metal frame (body) of the brake assy broke apart. I had loose iron parts floating around in there.

head_dunce

Usually the parts store will carry a few options for pads, and I'd suggest sticking with pads made in the USA.

I'd stay away from ceramic pads on a truck, they tend to overheat and crack because of the weight of the truck (and I'm sure the hopped up motor and crazy speeds didn't help in my case )

Tmb9862

I usually won't touch parts from stores like autozone, autobarn, autovalue, pepboys, etc. The quality just isn't there. For the extra $5 go down to NAPA or another real parts store and pick up some pads. Even with the cheap line at those stores you know you're getting somthing decent. Autozone if you ask for the expensive pads maybie you get somthing good but with the cheap ones they're garbage.

That said you've got a great deal on labor. $40 to change pads and they let you bring your own parts? It's a $200+ job here for parts and labor.

head_dunce

Stick with Raybestos or Bosch

Or if you're going really fast...
http://www.strangeengineering.net/catalog/105.html

powrus

I guess my [November] question has been answered. Namely, no replies here from anyone else who has experienced broken brake assemblies before. Lots of info here about inferior pads and rivots and glue. No responses yet from anybody whose cast brake assemblies broke apart into a dozen pieces while still inside the hub.

That's good news.

head_dunce

Pffttt... some broken up brake pads aren't much to worry about --- you should see the stuff that blows up on my brother's ride www.twekd1.com

What kinda truck do you have? I had a similar problem with cracked pads a couple months ago on a friends Chevy Malibu with only 20k miles on them. From what I read online, the car was known to have crappy brakes. I replaced them with Bosch parts and all is fine now. --- Could it be a Chevy thing?