I am rebuilding a rear end for a friend. He bought a set of lined brake shoes. I have already cut them in half and they fit great. I worked the cam back and forth several times and they stay in place with no problems except that they are not flat against the backing plate. There is a raised portion on the back of the shoes that contacts the backing plate. Can I file this off or should it be left alone?
Stephen
That is the contact point - leave them be.
Stephen
This is NOT my idea and i do NOT want to take credit for it as I saw it on an old post. I did however just install rear lined brakes and it worked great!
Drill a small hole through the back plate behind the spring coil closest to the cam.
The original post said to install a long cotter pin from the back and wrap it around the spring, pulling it towards the plate. I didn't have cotter pins long enough so I used ss safety wire. Put a loop around the spring and pushed the ends through the hole and fastened to a nut on the back plate. I pushed in a little on the spring before fastening the safety wire.
The result is a set of brake shoes that tend to hug the backplate and not spring out and rub on the drums.
Cheers
schuh