What are the correct measurements for the 29 brake linings, length, width, and thinkness? (front, back, parking)I may be relining mine. (Unless somebody makes them., ready to go). Were they rivited on glued on? Thanks.

Might I suggest a parts book? You will see linings on eBay from time to time. You can use the old linings for the dimensions. And they are riveted--two different sizes of rivets as the rivets go through two pieces of metal in some places.
If you can't find the sizes, PM me and I'll look them up.

and call Filling Station. They once told me on the phone they can reline them even though its not in the catalog for '29

Hi,
The dimensions for the brake lining for your '29,are as follows:

Front: 4 pieces(2 per shoe)9" long X 1 1/2" wide by 5/32"
thick.Though you can use 3/16" thick lining to give
longer service life,and better pedal reserve.

Rear External Service Brakes:

Total length of lining is 5' 1/4" long,with one band
longer(top I think)than the lower.

Lining width is 2" and it is 3/16" thick

The emergency or handbrake lining dimensions are:

56 7/8" long(once piece band) and 5/32" thick.


Hope this helps out.

Am just steps before doing the same, because my 31 does not brake good. First I found out was: Nobody during last decades did ever centralize the brakes. Have the car just one year now. did not really understand how to centralize the brakes. Have all books and will try it soon and hope, with "try and error" and just wide open eyes I will understand what means for ex.: "tap the centr. bolts with a hammer to be sure they move free", have to learn which part has to move where to get the effect of centralizing. Am not scared about it. Learning by doing is not bad...
Have as well to reline the brakes.
FS does not have brake linings, and to send all parts there to do it at FS is not a good idea from here, old europe. Complicate Tax laws make it too expensive.
Found somebody here to make new linings, and i think it is important to get SOFT linings as the original ones to get the maximum brake power.
Found some NOS linings at ebay too, but I guess, some 50 years old linings cannot be ok enough to do a good repair. They are too old and hard and with asbestos too which is forbidden to use here in germany.

In my mind the old mechanical brake cannot be more complicate to understand than a bicycle brake...I will run it...

Stefan Germany

Thanks one and all for the help.

the soft linings make a signicant difference in stopping compared to the hard variety. with the hard linings I thought about removing the floor board so I could drag my feet like the Flintstones or install an anchor to aid stopping. I was hesitant about sending my old shoes across the country because how hard they are to come by.

I had them back from the FS in about 10 days. after 50 miles and a couple of adjustment they are prety well seated, good pedal, stops well, and straight.

With the earlier type of front wheel brakes being non-self-energising('28's & '29's),you need as soft a lining as you can get,so that the lining will get a good hold on the pressed steel brake drum.Modern woven lining just doesn't have the same co-efficient of friction as the old style of lining on pressed steel brake drums.I've been trying out a pale green woven lining on my '28 truck,and it works really good.A mate from Victoria got it from the U.S. for me.

I just got the pale green linings for the fronts from Gary Wallace last week. It will be a few weeks until they go on.

Small update. I had to do the rear linings as well, and since I Could not wait for shipping from the US, I decided to try out a local clutch and brake place. I explained what I wanted and the guy said he would use the green linings, not the yellow. Apparently, the green are indeed the softest woven linings.

small update: Did open all brakes now few weeks ago, found a way to get off the blocked rear drums without damage, and what I found was horrible. Rear brakes oily and greasy, front ones out of order because of blocked cables and worn out linings too.
remember, one year ago just before I bought the car, a professional (whatever that means) did overhaul the brakes for 1500.- euro. have the bill here in my "cars history folder".

So first I put out the cables and did fill them with oil, drop by drop and they came back to life! Are good now and working, sliding easy. Next was to find new linings. Had an idea where to ask and had success. Here in my town Bad Reichenhall we have the oldest mountain cable car of the world, working since 1928 in complete original condition and there I did ask because the electric motors running the cabins have brake linings too. There I got info about a small shop in Austria, not far from my home and there I got soft linings in correct size.
But had no time to put it into the car yet. Too busy at work. For first try (could not wait) I did just clean the old spoiled linings as good as possible and now the car brakes as it never did since decades I guess. As well the centralizing job is easy, with drums off it is easy to understand what should go on there.

There is just one remaining question:
The bracket of the cross shaft who transfers the movement of the brake pedal to left and right side of the car can move a little bit for and backwards. Even if all screws and bolts holding it are tight it is a bit free to move.
Am I right it should be like that because it allows the whole system to get the right balance between front and rear brake power?

Stefan Germany

Richtig.

That is correct.

All the Best, Chip