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Old 07-03-2021, 09:04 PM   #4
ford38v8
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Default Re: possibly changing from woven brake linning

Tom, Those that advise woven may have done so thinking about the earlier model Fords. The fact is that Ford did start out with woven shoes early in the 1937 production year, but soon changed over to molded lining, never to return to woven again, and for good reason. Woven will certainly skid the wheels for you, but properly set up molded shoes will also skid for you if you want, and in addition, will afford you more control in stopping your car, last much longer, and will save your tires from early replacement.

If you have adjusted at all four wheels and think you've got it "as good as it gets", you're probably far from that point if that's the only adjustment you've done. The '37-'38 Fords have the Lockheed self energizing system, which is superior to any Ford brake system up until 1949 when the Bendix system surpassed them.
I would advise you to go through your brakes from the first clevis at the cross shaft to the drums to ensure that the entire system is up to snuff and properly lubricated within the sheaths, and importantly, go with molded shoes from a Friction Materials Supplier, not a brake shop, as by law, modern automotive molded shoes are compromised with more metallic inclusions to minimize asbestos use. Finally, for optimum performance and ease of maintenance, convert the adjusting mechanisms to the star adjusters as was done with Bendix brakes.
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Last edited by ford38v8; 07-03-2021 at 09:15 PM.
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