How to Measure Brake Shoes
Part of owning a car is performing some general maintenance to keep it running smoothly. The engine is not the only thing that needs to be checked during these maintenance routines. Your brake shoes need to be checked regularly as they wear down over time and can cause some major repair bills as well as safety hazards if not maintained.
Things you’ll need:
- Straightedge screwdriver
- Brake lining gauge
- Tire tread depth gauge
- Clean the brake shoe thoroughly. Depending on the type of brake shoe that is on your car will depend on how you clean it. A bonded shoe will only require you wiping it off, but if you have a riveted brake shoe it will require a bit more cleaning because as it wears away pieces of it that can get stuck in between the rivets. Using a straightedge screwdriver, get down into each rivet and dig out any loose material.
- Using the tire tread depth gauge, place it into each rivet on the brake shoe. Measure each rivet as this will determine if you have an uneven wearing of your brake shoes or if your brake shoes are low and need to be replaced. This is only for a riveted brake shoe, as a bonded brake shoe requires a different type of measurement.
- Using a brake lining gauge, measure the thickness of a bonded brake shoe. You will have to follow the edge of the brake shoe and measure at different points. These types of brake shoes do not have rivets, as they are glued straight to the shoe plate. The measurement tool will almost act like scissors and give you the thickness measurement along the shoe.