SOC Members who’ve previously replaced the brake shoes at the rear of the car may already be aware that the original part number GBS637 was supplied complete with an adjuster mechanism that compensates for the linings becoming thinner with wear.
More recently GBS637 was replaced by GBS804, which has the benefit of being asbestos free, but the adjuster mechanism now has to be transferred from the old brake shoes to the new. Some owners either weren’t aware of this until they had thrown the old ones away, or they perhaps preferred to buy and fit a separate Brake Shoe Adjuster Kit, Part Number AAU8994. Unfortunately this kit is no longer generally available.
SOCTFL has been investigating possible sources of individual components within the kit, for example some of these are common with other classic vehicles. The main obstacle, however, is that whilst blanks of the component shown in Figure 1 are still available in limited numbers, SOCTFL has not yet found a process for machining the fine teeth into the working surface on the curved edge of the component.
This is despite speaking to the original manufacturer and researching the options with various others; there are problems from both the technical and cost viewpoint, and of course overriding all these issues we need to remember that this is a safety critical item.
We have not given up on the exercise, however whilst working on the project we’ve received feedback from restorers that the brake adjuster kits do not suffer much wear, and that provided they haven’t been abused they are more than capable of giving good service when transferred from old brake shoes to new. So the advice in the meantime is to look after your existing brake adjusters and please ensure you salvage them from your old brake shoes before throwing them away!
Best regards
Philip Wardle for SOCTFL
More recently GBS637 was replaced by GBS804, which has the benefit of being asbestos free, but the adjuster mechanism now has to be transferred from the old brake shoes to the new. Some owners either weren’t aware of this until they had thrown the old ones away, or they perhaps preferred to buy and fit a separate Brake Shoe Adjuster Kit, Part Number AAU8994. Unfortunately this kit is no longer generally available.
SOCTFL has been investigating possible sources of individual components within the kit, for example some of these are common with other classic vehicles. The main obstacle, however, is that whilst blanks of the component shown in Figure 1 are still available in limited numbers, SOCTFL has not yet found a process for machining the fine teeth into the working surface on the curved edge of the component.
This is despite speaking to the original manufacturer and researching the options with various others; there are problems from both the technical and cost viewpoint, and of course overriding all these issues we need to remember that this is a safety critical item.
We have not given up on the exercise, however whilst working on the project we’ve received feedback from restorers that the brake adjuster kits do not suffer much wear, and that provided they haven’t been abused they are more than capable of giving good service when transferred from old brake shoes to new. So the advice in the meantime is to look after your existing brake adjusters and please ensure you salvage them from your old brake shoes before throwing them away!
Best regards
Philip Wardle for SOCTFL