Buyer Beware...Emergency Brake Linings...Where is the Quality Control?

[Steve Plucker]

A few weeks ago I ordered from Bratton's a set of Emergency Brake Linings.

After they arrived, I installed them onto the E-Brake Bands...They came up 5/16" to short.

(Picture to follow)

I contacted Bratton's and told them that this was unacceptable...that the linings must cover the entire band:

In my last order, I ordered a set of Pre-Drilled Emergency Brake Linings #3720.

I am inclosing a photo of what the linings look like after installation onto the Emergency Brake Band (Original).

The lining, when installed, should cover the entire band...as you see, it does not.

It lacks about 5/16 of an inch!

Please tell your supplier to make adjustments.

Personally, I would like a new set that will cover the entire band as it should.

Thank you.

This is their reply:

Good morning Mr. Plucker, Again I’m sorry for the delay and this issue. I looked through the remaining sets of the pre drilled lining and none of them came all the way to the end of the band. The closest to the end I could come up with was about 1/8”. If you would like that set I’ll get it out for you today. The person that was making this part for us has retired and the demand for this part has dropped so I don’t think I will be running it again.

I declined the offer mainly because they still were not long enough to cover the band.

So will be returning them for credit.

Here again...another part not made correctly...Where is the Quality Control? Especially at $49.95 plus tax a set!

Pluck

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Steve, this is not going to be a popular response to your (-and to other similar posts) comments regarding Q/C but it often boils down to profitability for the supplier. Most 'Restorers' today don't "restore" because "replacing" is WAY easier and cheaper. As Jeff pointed out in his response back to you, these items (-like many others) are slow to sell whereas the cost of inventorying ( the initial cost of purchasing and then the cost of having the money tied up while waiting for it to sell ) has become too expensive.

Allow me to share a personal scenario in these. For us, we rebuild/restore these in-house to maintain a high level of Q/C. I buy the lining on a roll using a good quality lining. I pretty much have a state-of-the-art automated jet washer to degrease them along with a large automated Rotoblaster for final cleaning and blasting. I have a nice restored commercial brake riveting press that drills the counterbores for the rivet heads and sets the lining rivets. I mention this to illustrate that we are about as efficient as possible to maintain productivity and lower labor costs in restoring these. We still must manually strip the old linings, load & unload the bands in the washer and blaster, set-up, prep, & lightly paint the bands, and cut and install the linings with skilled labor. My issue is that I cannot compete with pricing on many items that commercial vendors sell because a lot of these items have been restored by hobbyists that were working out of a home shop for supplemental income. Unfortunately many of these guys are 'aging out' without new guy's interested in taking their place. As more of this happens, it is going to drastically change the hobby.

So while there are a few here that want to complain about Q/C of parts they are buying, I honestly believe folks need to take a hard look at alternatives. Manufacturers of the linings need to sell it in a minimum of 25' rolls to keep handling costs affordable. A hobbyist needs about 60" (-30" per band) if I recall correctly. That means the hobbyist only needs 5' of the 25' roll, and must decide if he will throw away the excess or place it on a shelf in hopes of using it again before the hobbyist's estate sale. Now factor in the other time it takes to do all the other tasks in this relining process, you really need re-consider if that $50 price and that 0.125" shorter lining will work for you. The day very well may come where a hobbyist is excited that someone even offers a lined e-brake band for $50 each!

[Keith True]

I never gave this a thought before.I am sitting 3 feet above a dozen of them on a shelf,so I went down and looked.No two are alike.Some are short,and some overhang the ends of the bands.Some are overhung on one end,and short on the other.I can't see it as important,the band isn't going to contact the drum with that lining in the middle.I doubt I will ever reline a parking brake again I get them from old rear ends the scrap guys bring me,mostly from homemade trailers.I put the bands in a tupperware container with some laquer thinner,and let them soak.I shake it now and then,and blow the juice out with an air gun.It's almost shocking how the greasiest bands can be near perfect.Where these are parking brakes,not service brakes,they don't need to be perfect to work perfect.They just need to jam against the drum while parked,no rotation involved.

[Ted Duke]

Sounds like a proper response from a vendor.


Ted

[Dan Partain]

Here's the photo Pluck asked me to post for him.

[Pmsqrd]

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Just an FYI Randy Gross sells exchange e brake lining assembles that use bonded linings.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Dan Partain

Here's the photo Pluck asked me to post for him.

Thanks Dan & Steve. I definitely see Steve's side of it as he is wanting to restore accurately, -and when you are spending hard-earned money, your goal is to have the best ...but in all true honesty, those can be used without ever noticing a performance issue caused by the shorter linings. Again, I understand his rationale but I would encourage someone in a similar situation to use them as-is and never think a thing about them again.

[olebmw]

I ordered a set of pre drilled e-bands and the holes on one end of each shoe was drilled to the side just under 1/8".I sent them back and ordered the un-drilled lining. one lining snapped like a cracker when I tried to lay it flat to drill the counter sink.