Rear Brake Shoes

Flo · Mar 5, 2011

Just got some new brake linings & rivets for my rear brake. As usual, they ain't going to fit. The rivets are thicker & too long. Going to leave my old ones on it for now.
Had a look on Ebay for some new shoes & they are all a different shape than mine. What gives? Mine are semi circular, the ones on Ebay have a kink in them.
Too frightened to buy any, as the last few items I have bought for my Commando does not fit & I am spending too much money for junk.

L.A.B. · Mar 5, 2011

Flo said:
Had a look on Ebay for some new shoes & they are all a different shape than mine. What gives? Mine are semi circular, the ones on Ebay have a kink in them.

http://www.norvilmotorcycle.co.uk/brakingdrum.htm

063417

daveparry · Mar 5, 2011

I am a great fan of Ebay and use it all the time but I can't see why you would use it for Commando stuff when there are numerous specialist suppliers out there who you could speak to and be fairly certain of getting the correct parts,
Dave.

Flo · Mar 5, 2011

The brake shoes are the only thing I have bought off of Ebay for my Commando. All the other parts that don't fit or work have come from the top Commando specialists.
The photo of the shoes from L.A.B. are a diiferent shape to mine, which are the original ones. But if these are correct for a Commando, I may purchase some.

maylar · Mar 5, 2011

daveparry said:
I am a great fan of Ebay and use it all the time but I can't see why you would use it for Commando stuff when there are numerous specialist suppliers out there who you could speak to and be fairly certain of getting the correct parts,
Dave.

Some of the best specialist suppliers ARE eBay vendors. Straight shooters who will answer any questions you might have.

And Norvil parts ain't always perfect either...

L.A.B. · Mar 5, 2011

Flo said:
The photo of the shoes from L.A.B. are a diiferent shape to mine, which are the original ones. But if these are correct for a Commando, I may purchase some.

The 'kinked' type seem to be the ones shown in the parts diagrams at least going back as far as 1971 (060828), the 1969 factory manual also has a photo showing the kinked shoes.
http://www.oldbritts.com/1971_g16.html
http://britmoto.com/manuals/Manuals/Comm_man.pdf p43 Fig. 47 (pdf p. 42)

The 1973 063417 rear shoes apparently fit all rear drum Commandos.
http://www.nortonmotors.de/ANIL/Norton% ... 16&Part=17

Flo · Mar 5, 2011

Here's mine.

L.A.B. · Mar 5, 2011

They look very similar to these 06-3278 ? (what's the number on the lower shoe?)

http://www.vintage-motorcycle.com/index ... 35&limit=0
Norton, but perhaps not Commando.

Commando

http://www.vintage-motorcycle.com/index ... 74&limit=0

Rohan · Mar 5, 2011

I'd been contemplating that the kink in those brake shoes would be to clear the speedo drive unit in the front wheel of WD (and prewar) Nortons. !!

However, a comparison with such fittings reveals the brake linings as fitted to Commando rear brake shoes are shorter than the linings fitted to front wheels. So the shoes are suitable for prewar use, front AND back, but the linings are not......

Prices seem to vary considerably, too.

HTH.

L.A.B. · Mar 5, 2011

That kinked type of shoe goes back to at least the late 40's-according to the parts diagrams, and perhaps was used even earlier?

79x100 · Mar 5, 2011

My 1939 WD16H had one of the 'kinked' shoes in the front wheel, the other and the two at the back not having it. The rear shoes from my 750 (which was last on the road in the late 1970s before I bought it) had two 'kinked' shoes. I'd suspect that at some point they stopped supplying the alternative castings.

It was certainly intended to clear the speedo drive unit on the front hub which was a standard fixture from 1936 or so.

According to the NOC notes, the 'kinked' shoes were no longer specified after frame number 212,278 but they don't say why. Maybe simply because new tooling was needed.

Flo · Mar 5, 2011

You have just solved the mystery.
Yes, the part no. (which I thought was just a forge no.) on the shoes is 063278. My frame no. is 301xxx.
Looks like both types are right. My parts book shows 063417.
I can remember my brake being better than a friend's 750 Commando years ago.
Thanks.

Rear Brake Shoes

Flo

L.A.B.

Moderator

daveparry

Flo

maylar

L.A.B.

Moderator

Flo

L.A.B.

Moderator

Rohan

L.A.B.

Moderator

79x100

Flo

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