Poor quality brake shoes?

[Dryad]

In 2011 I bought a set of rear brake shoes in a plain white box from a trader at the MMOC Rally. Should I not be surprised that one of the linings fell off after only 5000 miles?! [frame][/frame]

[greendefender123]

Had that happen to a Renault Kango going down hill lost all breaks. Was scary at the time. Apparently common on some newer cars. I'd replace all the shoes you bought.

[amgrave]

Get your self some Mintex one's, they are a good choice and you will probably find the brakes work slightly better too.

[ManyMinors]

If you buy the cheapest you can find, they're not likely to be the best
I agree with the above - I bought some Mintex ones last time and am very happy with them. My Morris serves me well and I find in the long run, that if I buy the best replacement parts I can find, it continues to give good reliable service

[ManyMinors]

If you buy the cheapest you can find, they're not likely to be the best
I agree with the above - I bought some Mintex ones last time and am very happy with them. My Morris serves me well and I find in the long run, that if I buy the best replacement parts I can find, it continues to give good reliable service

[Dryad]

I didn't set out to buy the cheapest I could get, but I assumed they would be ok because they were from a well-known Minor parts supplier who had a stand at the MMOC rally. My point was that they shouldn't really be selling substandard parts - especially safety-critical ones.

[MrIan]

I didn't set out to buy the cheapest I could get, but I assumed they would be ok because they were from a well-known Minor parts supplier who had a stand at the MMOC rally. My point was that they shouldn't really be selling substandard parts - especially safety-critical ones.

Exactly, even 'cheaper' parts should perform safely. I'd contact the supplier and see what they say as it might be a one off / bad batch which they might be completely unaware of, also if they're not told they'll never know !!!!

[liammonty]

The trouble is, the cheaper parts rarely do provide reliable service - many have experiences of being let down with cheap parts . Unfortunately, that's the reality these days. The only way around it is to buy good quality (generally more expensive) parts - if there's more of a market for them, I suspect there will be more interest in continuing to supply/manufacture them.

[ManyMinors]

My point was that they shouldn't really be selling substandard parts - especially safety-critical ones.

Basically, I agree with you BUT if you buy anything cheaply in a plain box it isn't going to be top quality. It isn't uncommon for brake linings to become unbonded nowadays (years ago they were riveted of course). This is generally caused by rust starting on the shoe and forcing the lining off. The rust of course is caused by dampness - from wet roads or damp storage maybe and, to be fair, 5years life from a cheap service item is probably regarded as OK by many? How many times during those 5 years had you removed the brake drums to check that all was well?

[Dryad]

I've been buying car parts since the late 70s so I know what's what. It's all very well saying 'well if you WILL by cheap parts...' but when it comes down to it most people don't buy them frequently enough to know what is cheap and what is not. I bought those because it was a pound cheaper than it was online, and given that the going rate for brake shoes at that time was (and still is) £10-£15 I saw no reason not to trust them. If they had been £5 then that would certainly have rung 'alarm bells'. I'm no fool when it comes to parting with money, and I certainly wasn't simply trying to do things on the cheap, I was simply trying to underline the point that some well-known and highly regarded suppliers seem to sell substandard goods.

[LouiseM]

I was simply trying to underline the point that some well-known and highly regarded suppliers seem to sell substandard goods.

But if you bought them 5 years ago, in a plain box, how do you know that these particular brakes are still being sold by the supplier?

Good to hear that the mintex brakes are good as I've just had some fitted

[Dryad]

I don't. I was SIMPLY pointing out that it has happened! I'm not pointing the finger at any particular supplier, or slandering anyone. What IS the problem here?!

[LouiseM]

There isn't a problem, and I'm not moderating, just posting a comment. No need to shout.

[orb596]

I'm afraid this is the problem with bonded brake shoes. I had the same thing happen a few years ago to the brake shoes on the Lowlight which I owned at the time. I'm always on the look out for NOS rivetted shoes when I visit autojumbles or even just linings so that we can re-line the old shoes. I only use rivetted shoes now and won't touch the bonded ones.

[amgrave]

The bonded shoes are OK if you use the car regular, if not where the shoes get hot in use then cool they attract moisture which gets behind the bond and makes rust form this in turn breaks the bond over time. We have the same problem in the hire trade where they are fitted to compressors and bowser’s. These trailers spend most of their time parked and we have to change the shoes quite often and they cost around £70 a set so not cheap and there is usually lots of meat left on them when binned. There's no answer other than riveted shoes if you can get them.

[ManyMinors]

I've been buying car parts since the late 70s so I know what's what. It's all very well saying 'well if you WILL by cheap parts...' given that the going rate for brake shoes at that time was (and still is) £10-£15 I saw no reason not to trust them.

I don't think anyone is trying to have a go at you - we're all talking from experience here but If you're only prepared to pay £10-£15 for brake shoes you will be buying the cheapest available. I paid roughly double that for my Mintex ones and felt that they were good value for money for a safety critical item produced in small numbers for what is now an specialist car.

[bmcecosse]

I would still take these back to the supplier - this could have caused a major accident, and they must be made aware of how dangerous these parts are. You 'should' at least get a grovelling apology and a replacement set of shoes - unless there is a warning on the box re 'not for use in wet conditions' In a modern car situation - they would be required to do a recall !

[oliver90owner]

You should be surprised. Whether 5k miles or 5 years, if should not happen. This is not a normal occurrence. There are millions of brake shoes out there with bonded linings. Inform the trader as there may be a lethal batch of shoes out there, just waiting to fail in an emergency, or likely to cause one.

I have never come across another failure like that. The usual thing with brake linings is that either they wear quickly or are so hard that they are less effective.

[amgrave]

See my post

[Dryad]

"...we're all talking from experience here"

After working on cars for 38 years I think I'm VERY experienced, thankyou.

"...but If you're only prepared to pay £10-£15 for brake shoes you will be buying the cheapest available"

It's exactly THAT kind of condescending comment which irritates me. It's not that I was "only prepared to pay £10-£15" like some kind of miserly cheapskate, but that they were the only ones they had on the stall and I naturally assumed they would serve the intended purpose.

"But if you bought them 5 years ago, in a plain box, how do you know that these particular brakes are still being sold by the supplier? "

I wasn't suggesting they were, was I?! Or are you insinuating that I'm making this up?

"Good to hear that the mintex brakes are good as I've just had some fitted "

Smugness is out of place in a conversation highlighting health and safety concerns.

I've been off this forum for the last three years, in which time it seems to have changed. More of a ego-driven "I am more experienced than you" approach. All I was doing was bringing this matter to everyone's attention - I certainly wasn't expecting to be slapped down in this manner. Thanks everyone else for your constructive comments.