What shoes?

[Timbo]

I have trawled t’internet, read 100s of posts and looked at 1000s of shoes on parts sites, but just can’t seem to find the right brake shoes for the front of my ‘59 A10. The hub is 42-5853, 8” and the existing shoes measure 1-1/8” but all I seem to find at 1-3/8”, which won’t fit, or will they?

I am struggling to believe it’s this complicated, can someone point me at the correct ones to buy please?

There is meat on these but the brakes are pants! Changed cable, greased the bits that need greasing etc but still poop! They are VERY old, probably not changed for 20+ years.

I am ready to be enlightened and receive your wisdom gratefully, if only for the sake of my sanity and to prevent my wife killing me!

Can’t post pics for some reason so they are attached.

Thanks.

[muskrat]

G'day Timbo.
Draganfly do an exchange service. Give them a call. https://draganfly.co.uk/shop/67241/brake-shoe-8-pair-exchange-the-brake-shoes-are-handed/#42-5867/8F
Cheers

[Timbo]

Thanks, was looking at them before but wasn’t sure they were the same width as it says is “send us yours …”, will give  a call tomorrow.

Assumed with the amount of A10 spares there are about, there’d be a set I could just order, too good to be true 

[Swarfcut]

 Some aftermarket shoes back then carried the original part number. Many didn't, instead just a maker's name and their own catalogue number. Some are completely blank.

 In this case the shoe pivot and cam pad are very slightly offset from the centre line of the shoe, so carry different part numbers to define the leading and trailing shoes.

 Parts book* has 42 5867 as leading shoe,  42 5858 as trailing. See Musky's link

 Oddly the smaller 7" full width front brake hub on the A7 uses two identical shoes 42 5876.  These are also used on the rear brake on all models with the full width cast iron rear hub.

 Swarfy


 * A Group  Catalogue 00-5086   Printed  Sept 1961

[Timbo]

Thanks for the very helpful replies all!!

I have given Draganfly a call and they confirmed 42-5867/8 is what I need, and that matches with what I eventually found in the parts book (on here) so I’m going for those.

How come there are so many different combinations? 7”, 8”, half width, full width etc, you have to know your stuff with these old bikes don’t you?

Thanks again.

[Slymo]

Cut mine down with a 1mm cutting disk.

[trevinoz]

Why not get yours relined?
If the drum is warped, have it machined and have linings to suit.

[limeyrob]

I checked and checked again and still ordered the wrong rear shoes. Yes it is a minefield, especially as BSA changed to fully floating shoes so the numbers changed.

[Rex]

If your existing shoes fit then get them relined by Villiers Services. Only about £30 including return postage.

[Timbo]

I’ve ordered from Draganfly  it will remember that for when I do the back brake, which currently actually works

[limeyrob]

I drive a 1970 Land rover - 2 1/4 tons and drum brakes.  TLS on the front , SLS on the rear.  They were truly awful but I got modern high friction linings, now it stops like a modern car.  Its worth doing some web searches and finding the guys who do the re-lining for the vintage racers.  I was chatting to one  and he said they could do a lining that would last one or two weekends of racing or 1000 miles on the road and stop like a disc.
One of the bits of advice I got was don't use linings with bits in, they are always too hard, get ones that are all resin.  You want to be able to press your nail in and leave a mark.
On the Land Rover the linings that I took out showed no wear at 10,000 miles but didn't do anything, the ones I have now will last about 10,000 but stop really well and at £30 an axle set stopping is cheap at the price.

[Rex]

I’ve ordered from Draganfly  it will remember that for when I do the back brake, which currently actually works

I suppose you may be lucky and Drags won't have them on "back order" like so much other stuff of theirs these days. 
The other week I tried to order some Goldie/B31/B33 sump plate gaskets and unbelievably they were out of stock.

[Timbo]

They said they have 1 set in stock so fingers crossed nobody snags them.

NOBODY BUY MY BRAKE SHOES!! They are mine! All mine! 

Sorry, it’s been a weird day at work 

[trevinoz]

Did you measure your brake drum to ensure that it is still on standard size?
If it has been machined at some time, standard linings will be next to useless.

[Timbo]

Not as such, but I did check the dimensions of my old shoes with draganfly to make sure they are the same size, so I sort of did in a roundabout way 👍