brake shoes
 

Redoing 1940 Ford brakes adapted to a 1935 5 Window Coupe. I want to order new shoes...and I see there are molded and woven ( for a few $ more)...I want the best shoes for braking....which kind do you reccommend?
Thank-you,.....Matt in Alameda

Re: brake shoes
 

Woven .But bonded on .

Re: brake shoes
 

From what I have read woven are better. I'm going to go that route on my 34 roadster as soon as I can locate some old shoes. You can buy some very nice woven material to line your shoes from McMaster Carr.
just my $.02

Re: brake shoes
 

Hi Matt, First thing, I haven't made it to a club meeting for a couple months and plan to go this Wednesday, hope to see you there?

Now about the shoes, with a small history lesson: Woven shoes will stop you quick, and skid your tires if you're not careful. Woven are more expensive and don't last as long as molded. Ford discontinued woven shoes in mid 1937 I believe, due to the improved stopping power of cable brakes.

While your '40 brakes aren't modern by any means, they are still comparable in stopping power to the cable brakes of '37-'38. What you don't want is modern shoes mandated by law to have less asbestos and more metal inclusions. Get your molded shoes from a specialty friction company, which are not bound by that law. No, I don't have one in mind, you'll have to google it. An even better option is to find some NOS shoes at a vintage Ford dealer.