Part numbers: RTC3411 STC2796
We've discovered that all aftermarket brake shoes of this type—even quality brand ones—have a common design defect: the anchor pin arc is slightly displaced compared with those of old Genuine shoes (new Genuine shoes are unobtainable). This displacement causes a mismatch between shoe lining curvature and drum curvature, even if the linings have been properly radiused.
This is the main reason Series SWB brakes have a reputation for a 'spongy pedal' and shoes that take a long time to bed in, i.e. to make simultaneous contact with the drum from one end of the lining to the other. The consequence is the dreadful brakes that most Series owners take for granted. This is not a Land Rover design flaw, and it's not how these Series left the factory. It's a subtle yet serious aftermarket parts defect that has gone unnoticed for decades, with every manufacturer copying a wrong template.
We're trying to persuade a quality brake parts manufacturer to modify their design template. In the meantime, we can supply you with a set of quality new brake shoes that have been modified by us to correct the anchor pin arc curvature. The shoes we supply are also relined with superior linings, and we chamfer the leading and trailing edges of the new linings to prevent the edges catching on the drum.
We began by selecting a very good condition used Genuine shoe, with exceptionally uniform lining wear, as our reference shoe. We then made a test tool that allows us to compare the position and curvature of any shoe's anchor pin arc with those of the reference shoe. Finally, we designed and built a special cutting jig that allows us to correct arc curvatures. The correction is subtle, but it makes a big difference. Our corrected shoes bed in quickly, with a nice firm brake pedal from day one, as Land Rover intended. We've found that most aftermarket shoe linings are excessively hard and/or not properly radiused. We get an old-school local brake specialist to reline sets of new shoes with softer, grippier linings that are correctly radiused to a new drum. These linings give superior brake performance.
Part numbers: RTC3411 STC2796
We've discovered that all aftermarket brake shoes of this type—even quality brand ones—have a common design defect: the anchor pin arc is slightly displaced compared with those of old Genuine shoes (new Genuine shoes are unobtainable). This displacement causes a mismatch between shoe lining curvature and drum curvature, even if the linings have been properly radiused.
This is the main reason Series SWB brakes have a reputation for a 'spongy pedal' and shoes that take a long time to bed in, i.e. to make simultaneous contact with the drum from one end of the lining to the other. The consequence is the dreadful brakes that most Series owners take for granted. This is not a Land Rover design flaw, and it's not how these Series left the factory. It's a subtle yet serious aftermarket parts defect that has gone unnoticed for decades, with every manufacturer copying a wrong template.
We're trying to persuade a quality brake parts manufacturer to modify their design template. In the meantime, we can supply you with a set of quality new brake shoes that have been modified by us to correct the anchor pin arc curvature. The shoes we supply are also relined with superior linings, and we chamfer the leading and trailing edges of the new linings to prevent the edges catching on the drum.
We began by selecting a very good condition used Genuine shoe, with exceptionally uniform lining wear, as our reference shoe. We then made a test tool that allows us to compare the position and curvature of any shoe's anchor pin arc with those of the reference shoe. Finally, we designed and built a special cutting jig that allows us to correct arc curvatures. The correction is subtle, but it makes a big difference. Our corrected shoes bed in quickly, with a nice firm brake pedal from day one, as Land Rover intended. We've found that most aftermarket shoe linings are excessively hard and/or not properly radiused. We get an old-school local brake specialist to reline sets of new shoes with softer, grippier linings that are correctly radiused to a new drum. These linings give superior brake performance.
