Is there a differance in brake shoes?

[dropanddrag71]

I want to give the rear of my 3/4 ton new brake shoes. Question is, Bendix is $46 an axel at summit, and pepboys is $17 an axel. I used Bendix on other cars and they are stamped on the box, made in china. Are they worth the extra cash or is all this stuff all the same and sold under differand names?

[hayhauler71]

Look for a set that the linings are riveted not bonded just my 2 cents

[steelhorse]

Ask for the professional brand they usually are much higher quality.

[flyingtim01]

You can't really go by brand anymore. Bendix used to be great, but like lots of things, they outsourced. Same with Wagner, Raybestos, etc. I'll echo what the other two posters have said: look for the 'professional' shoes, or Napa Gold or whatever, and check to make sure they're riveted, not bonded. Other than that, shoes are pretty much the same across the board, not like the differences in pads these days.

[ubtripn]

I first bought the riveted kind which were less when I just did my brake job. If you looked at the top of the rivets they would have been hitting the drum long before the lining was worn out. They went almost to the surface of the lining. I returned them and bought the more expensive, higher quality NAPA shoes and they had no rivets. I figured these would be better because I would be able to use the majority of the lining before swapping them out. Am I missing something?

[flyingtim01]

If the bonding was done right, then they're fine. But, its that one time the bonding comes loose on a hot lining (like a poorly done retread) and the lining is sliding around, or locking the shoe against the drum...

Of course, that's not to say that you can't get a bad riveting job, and the lining can move a bit on the shoe. I've never seen the lining come clear off a riveted shoe though, and I HAVE seen a poorly bonded lining come loose. I guess to each their own, but I'll always ask for riveted shoes. True, the bonded shoes might last a little longer, but it's not like they're $150 an axle...

[Stocker]

When I recently bought shoes for my K20, first thing the counterman said was "riveted, not bonded".

[ole dollor]

i have never had a problem with the bonded shoes, and they will last longer because the rivets hit the drum with lining left on the shoe. and i have seen rivets get loose also. its just what you like...kinda like motor oil...

[gdavis]

Originally Posted by dropanddrag71

I want to give the rear of my 3/4 ton new brake shoes. Question is, Bendix is $46 an axel at summit, and pepboys is $17 an axel. I used Bendix on other cars and they are stamped on the box, made in china. Are they worth the extra cash or is all this stuff all the same and sold under differand names?

You get what u pay for

[dropanddrag71]

You get what you pay for?
Correct most of the time, but if you understand manufacturing, you'd know
items are made off shore, or here and what ever company buys the item, then there lable and boxing is used, fooling loyal brand customers.

[50bomb]

I heard Pep Boys sells the best brake shoes. They are called "REDLINES".

[ubtripn]

The problem is that companies like Moog are selling their brand names so sometimes we don't get what we pay for, I just go for whatever has the lifetime warranty because chances are the quality will be higher since they don't want to replace it.

I live near a car restorer and I use that word in the highest sense, he restores everything from Model A's to muscle cars, older fella with a GREAT shop on lot's of land. He bonds his own linings.

For me the rivet height meant about 2/10's of the lining was going to get used.