Brake Shoe Relining

The Sock

The Sock

Hero member
Location
London, England
It's a job I've put off for too long, relining my rear brake shoes for the Triple.
On Ged's recommendation, IMG_8300.JPGI contacted Saftek lunchtime, last Thursday on
https://saftek.co.uk/friction-products-for-classic-vehicles-and-race-applications/
and made an enquiry on their recommendation as to material.
WITHIN 20 MINUTES the Office Manager emailed to say she had referred it to the reline centre.
They came back to me first thing Friday morning with the recommendation and price. I sent off the shoes, 3:30 Friday afternoon and they're back, done in less than a week!
I won't hesitate if the SF2 needs relining, too.
 
Hi..I used Classic Brake services in Whaley Bridge , Yorks, ..find on Facebook not Web. Proper job, riveted linings, you need to measure the inside diameter of your drum. The lining is amazing...this was for my XT500 which now actually stops...a real lifesaver, now it wears a Mikuni flatside carb which, like fitted by Keith Nairn to my Jota, transforms I think ithe relining was about£75 though...but you get what you pay for, and they do a lot of classic bikes and seem v busy.
 
Hi Hamish. I'd like to know which lining was chosen and how it performs. My SF needs a reline and it'd be good to have a reference.
At the moment mine (suspected v old) are, nothing - nothing - nothing - nothing - everything. Result, I shit myself at a sudden lock-up. P 👍
 
When I went with a right-side gear shift on my 3C, the rear twin leader became savage, especially in the rain, with its direct link instead of the crazy long crossover cable it had with the left-side gear shift. The fix was stronger brake shoe springs; it became much more controllable, still strong but with way less lockups.
 
Haggis said:
Hi Hamish. I'd like to know which lining was chosen and how it performs. My SF needs a reline and it'd be good to have a reference.
At the moment mine (suspected v old) are, nothing - nothing - nothing - nothing - everything. Result, I shit myself at a sudden lock-up. P 👍
Click to expand...
They suggested, and I took their advice the Premium Duty Grade. I'm hoping to fit them in the next week, once I've figured how to set up a TLS. Once they're bedded in I'll report on how they perform. I'm hoping they'll get their original retardation power back.
 
Vince said:
When I went with a right-side gear shift on my 3C, the rear twin leader became savage, especially in the rain, with its direct link instead of the crazy long crossover cable it had with the left-side gear shift. The fix was stronger brake shoe springs; it became much more controllable, still strong but with way less lockups.
Click to expand...
Mine's always been RHS gearchange, Vince. I've been missing the ability to lock the rear.
In my youth, I used to use it, occasionally, to tighten the line into a bend. I'm always happier locking the back rather than the front, in the wet.
 
Were the linings machined to suit the true drum diametre?

The shoes themselves are anything but truely circular when fitted, the adhered linings end up transferring the bumps and dents of the shoes to the outer face that is supposed to do the braking. This in turn lets the bedding-in process take months, years, decades until the linings have full contact with the drum. By the time that happens, they're worn out and need replacing...

Far better, although slightly more expensive and comprehensive, is to have thicker linings installed and then machine them to the true drum diametre, keeping cable free length and lever geometry in mind. You then have a brake with maximum performance from the word go, bedding-in is a matter of minutes/hours. Then it's up to the choice of lining material as to how good/bad the brake performs.

Just clagging on a new lining and expecting brake performance to be restored is naive. The lining thickness is stated as 4.8mm on the invoice, this alone will have you take up most of the free length of your cable with very little adjustment left and lever geomerty out the window. Machined linings generally end up at 5.8-6.2mm thickness, depending on the true diametre of the drum. For optimal results, a 6.5+mm lining is required to start off with.

piet
 
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for info - For several years and several different bikes I have used Villiers services in the uk - measure the drum and specify this plus 2mm for the relining
then machine the linings on the lathe to suit the drum size - using a Dremel with a small grinding wheel works well.
Also state whether the linings are for road or race !
standard price is £25 per pair with turnaround 7 days after receipt of your old shoes.

Stu
 
As mentioned, Classic Brake services insist you send drum measurements
..I didn't have the kit to do that, so Clem plus highly skilled engineer son David, also a biker of course, did it for me..thanks chaps!😁
 
corsaro said:
then machine the linings on the lathe to suit the drum size - using a Dremel with a small grinding wheel works well.
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Fully assembled brakeplate? - spinning the whole backplate etc?

So I'd have to send the whole assembly to such a specialist to get them arced to fit my drum?

Anyone have any recommendations for someone doing this relining and fit to drum in USA?
 
arancia said:
Fully assembled brakeplate? - spinning the whole backplate etc?

So I'd have to send the whole assembly to such a specialist to get them arced to fit my drum?

Anyone have any recommendations for someone doing this relining and fit to drum in USA?
Click to expand...
Yep, that's how it works.

Anything else is just guessing.

Screenshot 2022-03-09 at 20-04-23 E-Mail (2).png


Screenshot 2022-03-09 at 20-05-37 E-Mail (2).pngPictured is a Series I backplate.

A normal cutting blade works well, slow speed/feed and shallow cut. Best to fix the shoes together with wire, don't rely on the springs to hold them in place while machining. The "desmodromic" actuating mechanism of the Series II Superfreni makes it a doddle, just have to set the levers at the required position.

Good opportunity to treat the Laverda backplates to a proper overhaul, new bushes and pins, etc. to reduce the slop.

piet
 
Come to think of it, I did have to send the back plate...
 

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Due to my inexperience as a young man, I never experienced a properly functioning Laverda drum brake. I had Jurid reline the pads on my SF1 in the 1980s, but I was never satisfied with the results/braking performance.

I knew that you should make sure the pads were worn across their entire circumference, but in my naivety at the time, I simply assumed that they would quickly wear in.

I wish I had experienced a properly adjusted brake like the one described above. However, today I would no longer indulge in such romantic ideas and would always prefer a double disc at the front.
 
Jo,

Nothing in the world can make the Laverda drum as good as a double disc, in fact I doubt any drum could better a half-decent disc set up, and there have been some truely bad disc systems in the past.

But, the Laverda drum is nowhere as bad as it is often described, with decent linings and properly set up, it can perform on par with any Grimeca or Ceriani of similar size. Fade is a big problem with any drum and the Laverda may be only slightly better than others in dissipating heat, but they do definitely fade. Chasing GSs down the Grossglockner brought that to my attention pretty firmly. :rolleyes:

piet
 
Further to my savage rear brake after doing a left-to-right gear change swap. Back then, Bridgestone was first producing dual-compound rear tyres, with a hard compound in the middle and soft compound sidewalls. They even made these in touring or sports-type tyres. Stupid me chose a touring version, and added to that was the left-to-right gear change. The result of a memorable, very wet ride was zero front dual disc brake function and constant rear wheel lockups, and the rear sliding sideways. I tiptoed home and vowed to fix the piss weak front brake when very wet and the dangerously savage rear brake, and the zero-traction rear tyre. Leaned a lot on the early ride. New front pads helped, stronger rear brake shoe return springs softened the rear brake action, and a better rear tyre also helped.
 
arancia said:
Fully assembled brakeplate? - spinning the whole backplate etc?

So I'd have to send the whole assembly to such a specialist to get them arced to fit my drum?

Anyone have any recommendations for someone doing this relining and fit to drum in USA?
Click to expand...

I used these people many years ago when based in the Mid West.
They were efficient and trued the relevant drums, relined the shoes with suitable material for the weight and use of the bike and machined shoe lining to the drum.
Yes they will need a 'complete' package sent to them.

Additional experience has also taught me that a newly re-spoked drums/wheels are best run for a while before any machining of the drum is carried out and that the back plate needs to be in the best possible condition to get the best out of drum brakes.
Even the Triumph/BSA 70s Conical, (comical) drum can be made to function adequately. Especially if when tightening up the backplate there is no distortion happening or allowed.
The earlier twin leading shoe from the same manufacture can be made very effective for the bike its designed for.

I've no personal experience with Laverda drums.
 
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