All aftermarket drums and shoes = junk?

[nthach]

I've replaced the front brakes on a co-worker's 07 Matrix with all Centric parts but I have a suspicion it also needs rears. The rear brakes on these are drums, I was afraid of pulling the drums for a look-see in case things were rusted or seized up. And of course Japanese drums are a pain to do.

Me and The Critic had a chat about how bad aftermarket drums are for Japanese cars. I guess it's a crapshoot? My co-worker won't spring for OEM Toyota, so I was thinking one of the better aftermarket options and Raybestos or Centric shoes, since most of the stuff is coming in from China. If the OEM drums can be salvaged, I might just slap on OEM shoes and call it a day. Thoughts?

 

[joegreen]

I used autozone brake drums and shoes on my ford ranger at least 10 years ago and they are fine. I know its not a japanese vehicle but that is my experience with cheap chinese brake parts.

 

[BigD1]

Yes they are a PITA. A Lisle 45100 brake spring tool will make the spring job easier at least.

Can't really help with the drums since I just slapped new shoes on.

Stay away from Wagner Z brake shoes. Brake pins cock eyed. Brake lining at the minimum thickness they can get by with. O'Reilly's house brand, BrakeBest Select, are way better than the Wagner Z junk.

 

[MarkM66]

I know miles don't mean much when it comes to brakes, but I have 285k miles on my '04 Vibe, and it still has the factory rear brake shoes. My drums come off easily, so I check them about once a year.

I also don't race to red lights, like most drivers seem to do,

 

[bdcardinal]

Not all of them are junk, but a lot of them are. Seems to be no matter the brand or application, you get some that are perfect and some that aren't even close to being right.

 

[benjy]

many are chinese, some ok others not so much. if you want better you gotta pay more.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

The biggest issue I've had is the hardware kits that have parts which are not completely right and don't fit. I had a huge issue with the auto adjusters on my Jeep backing off because the cable was 1/8'' too long. And the most recent brake job I did on it, I had to file down part of the shoe so it would fit on the anchor on the top.

 

[HangFire]

My take on it... poor brake service causes many of the complaints that result in hardware getting labelled "junk". Just because disc brakes are easy to do, doesn't mean all those lube and runout sections in the FSM can be ignored... but they usually are.

 

[mehullica]

Oem shoes & cut the drums

 

[slacktide_bitog]

You can probably get MK Kashiyama shoes on eBay. They are made in Japan

Another possibility is converting to rear discs (the 03-06 XRS had rear discs)

MK shoes, Advics wheel cylinders from Rock Auto (also made in Japan), and coated drums like Wagner or Powerstop

I HATE that Akebono and EBC don't offer any aftermarket shoes or drums

Just be glad that you're in California, where cars don't rust. If you had to deal with rust they'd be even WORSE!!

 

[The Critic]

IME, aftermarket drums are either out of round or the surface finish is so rough that the shoes will click.

Machining drums is highly dependent on the condition of the lathe and the skill level of the operator. Most places that offer machining services to DIYers are usually not the highest quality establishments, so...

If the drums are not out of round and the finish is even remotely acceptable, I would install new dealer shoes and consider the job done.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog


Just be glad that you're in California, where cars don't rust. If you had to deal with rust they'd be even WORSE!!

That's a big lie. If you live in the coastal parts of Marin/SF/San Mateo/Santa Cruz and around Tahoe, rust is a common sight.

 

[wdn]

I have had good results with both disk and drum brakes that were repaired with Centric parts. You do need to buy their premium line of parts not the cheap Centric: they have more than one product line, at different prices.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I just remembered to check out GM since they sold a rebadged Matrix as the Pontiac Vibe. The GM part number for the drums is 19171767, and I found a listing on eBay. It would be a little over $100 for both drums

gmpartsnow has them for $125 for the pair

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted by nthach
I've replaced the front brakes on a co-worker's 07 Matrix with all Centric parts but I have a suspicion it also needs rears. The rear brakes on these are drums, I was afraid of pulling the drums for a look-see in case things were rusted or seized up. And of course Japanese drums are a pain to do.

Me and The Critic had a chat about how bad aftermarket drums are for Japanese cars. I guess it's a crapshoot? My co-worker won't spring for OEM Toyota, so I was thinking one of the better aftermarket options and Raybestos or Centric shoes, since most of the stuff is coming in from China. If the OEM drums can be salvaged, I might just slap on OEM shoes and call it a day. Thoughts?


This is the making of a cluster frig right here. cheapskate wont spring for OE, you do the job using some cheap crap and he goes postal on you because its not right.
I would tell him to go to a shop and forget it. I guarantee they wont play these stupid games with him and you shouldn't either.

 

[windeye]

I currently use Centric rotor and pads (drums and shoes as well)...they are really good Chinese brake parts. Tried Toyota OE, not much impressed. Also tried NAPA, not as good as Centric. Tried Pepboys prostop, and Adv Auto brakes as well, they are not as good as NAPA's. my topic choice is Centric.

 

[Kruse]

One of my kids lives about an hour from me and is a college student. A couple of weeks ago, he calls me up saying that the rear brakes on his Ford pickup (drums) sound TERRIBLE. This is a truck that I purchased about a year ago and the previous owner said that the brakes had recently been replaced. My kid wanted to drive it home, but I said I would work on it there. I loaded up a jack and a few tools and went to him to work on it there. The drum shoes had come apart, as in the friction material and come apart from the steel frame of the shoe. So we had metal-to-metal contact from a nearly new shoe. Now the previous owner didn't tell me what brand he had installed, but they were obviously junk. I replaced the drum shoes in his parking lot and all is now well.
I'd say to install OEM parts if you can get them.

 

[The_Eric]

Originally Posted by The Critic

Machining drums is highly dependent on the condition of the lathe and the skill level of the operator. Most places that offer machining services to DIYers are usually not the highest quality establishments, so...

If the drums are not out of round and the finish is even remotely acceptable, I would install new dealer shoes and consider the job done.



Pretty much took the words out of my mouth..

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by Trav


This is the making of a cluster frig right here. cheapskate wont spring for OE, you do the job using some cheap crap and he goes postal on you because its not right.
I would tell him to go to a shop and forget it. I guarantee they wont play these stupid games with him and you shouldn't either.

I had luck with Centric in the past - more so their rotors. They seem to be one of the better Chinese brands but also not quite OEM.

Thankfully, the car is a beater for him. He's planning on buying a new car for his wife. This car was neglected when I first touched it. It's in somewhat better shape now.

 

[Trav]

Maybe its me but when someone doesn't want to spend a little more on stuff like brakes and steering it throws a red flag up. Aftermarket drums have always been a sore spot in my experiences, rotors are one thing you can check those on the car but drums are another.
I do turn my own (if it is within spec to be cut without going past the min) but not many people do it anymore, the monkeys at parts stores are all OJT and mostly clueless so the chances of getting a nice true drum are almost nil.