2020 230RL Brake Failure

[MJMCCAND]

In the process of the lubricating the bearing on my 230RL I found one of the brake shoes had failed. The brake shoe pad itself had detached from its metal back and fell out when I pulled the hub off. No idea how long it's been that way, we only have about 3,000 miles on the unit and it looked fine the last time I checked the bearings in December of 2020.

The dealer wanted $115 for one set of brake shoes! So I thought I'd pull one shoe off and take it to my local parts store(s) to see if I could find a suitable replacement. When I pulled the shoes off, a small metal part fell out as well, this concerned me so I went ahead and ordered a whole new brake kit from eTrailer.com for $185.

I am really surprised by this failure with only 3,000 relatively flat miles on this unit.

Just a reinforcement of the importance of routine maintenance and inspection on these things.

[FT4NOW]

Good find. It's easier to replace the entire assembly compared to just the pads (5 bolts, 2 wires, done). Wow, $185 seems high, unless it's both assemblies for the axle and accounting for a rise in prices. Make sure you do both assemblies on the axle so they wear evenly.

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[dryfly]

I just pulled a drum to find both shoes gone. For some reason Dexter brake shoes are pretty expensive in relation to buying the complete brake backing plate assembly, which can be found for some decent prices if you shop around on the internet. The convenience as well as all new parts almost make it a no-brainer.

[MJMCCAND]

I installed the new Dexter Nev-R Adjust brake kit last Saturday. Pretty easy install as the kit came pre-assembled. I did have to perform an initial adjustment, which was a little tricky due to the distance between the leaf springs and the adjustment port on the back of the assembly. I ordered a spare set of brake shoes, just in case I find another one that's come unglued on subsequent inspections. I thought it'd be a good idea to have one set on hand just in case since they are not readily available locally.

[Kanman]

Took my hubs off yesterday to pack bearings (about 8000 miles) and discovered one pad was completely gone and the backing plate ground deeply into the drum. What a disappointment as to the quality of this stuff. Anyone have to replace a drum too.

[315RLTSinPA]

Replaced all 4 of mine, with disc brakes.

[dryfly]

Took my hubs off yesterday to pack bearings (about 8000 miles) and discovered one pad was completely gone and the backing plate ground deeply into the drum. What a disappointment as to the quality of this stuff. Anyone have to replace a drum too.

Yes, I did. Shops can turn the drum area where contact is made by the lack of a brake shoe, but cannot turn the area where the magnet digs into the drum. If this happens a new drum is needed.

I now carry a extra drum with bearings installed, and brake assembly with me on trips. If you shop around on the internet you can find both for less than $300.

[Kanman]

Thanks for the info. Ordered new from e-trailer just over $300. The gouge was pretty deep, so I thought this was a safer alternative. Would need to take off close to 1/4 inch to smooth the surface. If it happens again, may go to disk brakes.

[Butcher]

Ever think the shoe is came off because it overheated? Maybe an adjustment issue?

[Steven@147]

Even back in the old days for cars and trucks with drum brakes you could get shoes with the brake material glued on or riveted to the shoe. We mostly used riveted shoes back in the day because the glued material would sometimes come loose from the shoe. Bad quality glue and assembly - ie cheap aftermarket brake parts. The riveted shoes were much higher priced brake parts. And that was some 30-40 years ago.