Source For Arcing Shoes In San Diego

P

philipswanson

Well-known member
I was wondering if anybody has a source in the San Diego area for arcing brake shoes. Getting hard to find this service these days.

Phil Swanson
 
I assume you also asked this question at the local Model A and Early Ford V8 clubs? Have you tried getting back to the supplier of the shoes?

Charlie Stephens
 
Don't you guys in the U.S. get different over sized linings? Ive never heard of arcing here in Australia [maybe they did years ago] we just buy 1st - 2nd - 3rd oversize linings . Measure the drum order correct oversize and fit , away you go...
 
I had a brand new set of Porterfield shoes
ground to fit a new set of drums at Porterfield
Enterprises in Costa Mesa about 2 months back.
Down in San Diego you'd be looking at HD truck
repair places to arc shoes. You'd have to make a
few calls to find out who is doing it down there.
 
Use to be that if needed the linings got shims under them if the drums were worn or turned. Arcing the shoes is fitting the shoes to the circumference of the drum and taking off any high spots so the shoes fit the drum without having to wear them in.
 
Some fifty years ago a machine shop on garnet avenue in pacific beach performed that service for free when buying new brake shoes from their parts dept. and turning your drums. There was no protection for shop personnel nor customers against clouds of asbestos wafting throughout the shop. The machinist became my mentor and taught me many valuable lessons that enriched my automotive restoration hobby. I was with him at his home shop a week before he perished from lung disease. He was still out in his shop last time I saw him using clear tubing strung thruout the rafters to deliver oxygen to his body while making a last ditch effort to finish up his ford ranchero. "I am scared" we're his last words to me. Good thing that the dangers of asbestos particles became widely known not long after and most machine shops ceased the practice of shaving brake shoes. Nowadays my mentors family would be lawyering up with a negligence claim against his employer.
 
no current brake shoes have asbestos. A NAPA store near me arcs shoes. A lot of old car people search him out. Most shops got rid of their grinders.

John
 
back in the 70 s we just blew the shoes off with the air gun.dust everwhere.my dad was a lifelong mechanic since the 40 s he lived to 85 no real heath problems alzhymers got the poor guy.we would just pull the carbs out of the bucket.been using protection now for years but who knew?i have a linning arc grinder but I wear a mask and roll the machine out side when I use it.
 
The owners of arcing machines were supposed contact the EPA back when they were transitioning to new materials so they could be "picked up". The government wanted to scrap them but most folks didn't obey those knee jerk reaction requirements. Ya, I'm just going to give this high dollar equipment to the government because they say. Fat chance! I still see them for sale now and then on flea-pay or C-list but a lot of them are missing parts.

The old Lockheed type brakes were the ones that usually needed the arcing since the Bendix type can generally be easily centered in the drum so there is not much call to do arcing any more.
 
redmodelt said:
Use to be that if needed the linings got shims under them if the drums were worn or turned. Arcing the shoes is fitting the shoes to the circumference of the drum and taking off any high spots so the shoes fit the drum without having to wear them in.
Click to expand...

I often have wondered what was used for shimming the lining; stuff looks pretty much like gasket paper; but wonder is there was a specific material made for the shims.
 
Back then everybody smoked, especially in the trades. The sad thing, is there is no practical substitute for Asbestos and it was used in a whole bunch of different applications.
 
Ford whisperer said:
Some fifty years ago a machine shop on garnet avenue in pacific beach performed that service for free when buying new brake shoes from their parts dept. and turning your drums. There was no protection for shop personnel nor customers against clouds of asbestos wafting throughout the shop. The machinist became my mentor and taught me many valuable lessons that enriched my automotive restoration hobby. I was with him at his home shop a week before he perished from lung disease. He was still out in his shop last time I saw him using clear tubing strung thruout the rafters to deliver oxygen to his body while making a last ditch effort to finish up his ford ranchero. "I am scared" we're his last words to me. Good thing that the dangers of asbestos particles became widely known not long after and most machine shops ceased the practice of shaving brake shoes. Nowadays my mentors family would be lawyering up with a negligence claim against his employer.
Click to expand...
That would be B&S auto Parts and the machinist was my old friend Jimmy Banta! I worked at the local Ford store in Pacific Beach and spent almost every lunch hour talking to Jimmy for years. He did ALL my machine work and it was superb. Thanks for the bittersweet memories of Jimmy and B&S!
 
Yes deuce mac, I remember that ford dealer. I was a kid and hopped on my bicycle to see the new '57 fords unveiled one exciting nite, searchlite parked at the curb and hoards of customers in total awe of those new fords. But back to b&s auto parts, I happened to be there when the owner, "mr.C" as he was called, put down the phone and announced, "B&S auto is no more...we're now Garnet auto parts". Mr.C and jimmy had some kind of serious falling out. Jimmy said Mr.C screwed him but never went into any detail. After jimmy left, the quality control went downhill dramatically as replacement machinists could not get it together. Garnet auto parts eventually closed and that was that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top