Early XK120 Brake Shoes

XK
1

Hello List,

I am replacing my front brake shoes on my early, (670203) XK120 OTS. The existing shoes have the brake liners bonded to the shoe. I have not been able to find anyone in British Columbia that will bond new liners to the existing shoes, nor have I been able to find any of the usual suppliers that will provide replacement shoes and liners. One of the east coast suppliers will supply brake liners only for the early XK120 shoes complete with the 16 rivets required to rivet them, rather than bonding them, to the existing shoes. On close inspection of my existing shoes with the bonded liners they only have holes for 14 rivets not 16 so the replacement rivetted liners will not work.

The existing shoes don’t have the 3 support pieces or braces to stabilize the shoe and they have the adjustment notch on one end for the adjustment piece but only 14 rivet holes. I am concerned that the existing shoes are for the later 120 or 140 models and may not have the correct arc for the early 120. If anyone can confirm this, I would appreciate it.

I have found a supplier in the UK that will supply new shoes complete with bonded liners, which is my preference, rather than rivets, but requires a core exchange with 16 hole early 120 shoes. Any guidance with brake supply houses in the US or Canada would be appreciated.

Regards, Geoff

2

I had my original shoes relined by Brake & Equipment Warehouse in Minnesota. They told me riveting is old fashioned and bonding more reliable so all their work is bonding.
Take pictures and make notes of the exact length and position of your old linings on the shoes. This is important, because the new linings may be too long and the center of pressure in the wrong place, thus reducing the effectiveness. Brake shoe design is a complicated science and relining places don’t have the engineering training necessary to understand it. I had to trim mine off about 1/2" with a metal saw and putty knife, very easy to do.
My car is 679187 from Nov 51 and the shoes do have the Micram adjustment notch and do not have the 3 support pieces (those were on later cars). Of course I don’t know if they are the original 1951 shoes, but they were on it before 1980.

3

Thanks Rob. I have seen your old post with photos of your shoes which match mine exactly. I will call Brake & Equipment tomorrow. Thanks again, much appreciated!

4

Hi, I just had my late 120 rear shoes relined at Senco Brake in Surrey, 96 cad, he asked if I wanted rivets or bonding, I left it up to him and he used rivets as mine were originally but you can have bonding. Dave W

5

Thanks Dawar! Much appreciated