Britbike forum Forums British motorcycles in general British motorcycles in general Brake lining materials

There is an ad in the classifieds requesting a source of supply for Ferodo AM14 linings, and this got me thinking. AM14 has long been known as a great brake lining, but my understanding is that it is made for racing, and as such is pretty much useless until it is heated up. That being the case, it's not much good for the street.

I'm looking for recommendations on good brake lining materials. I will be re-lining the front shoes of my pre-war Enfield 500, and with its tiny 6.5" diameter drum and 1" wide linings, I will need all the help I can get. (Oddly, it has a gigantic 8" rear brake ... what were they thinking?)

..> Gregg

Hey Gregg,

I'm at work and away from my list (thanks again Mr Harris).....but there were several Triumphs that came stock with AM14 Ferodo linings.

If somebody doesn't beat me to it....I'll post those models tonight.

Gordon

Greg
Some where in my shed i have old genuine ferodo brake linings complete with rivets for model ajw 500 cotton500/600 oec panther 500 levis zenith c5 enfield all within years 1929-1940 do you want me to have a look and give you sizes with a picture.P/S Box say ref no BH30/1
Jim

Thank you Gordon, that would be great if you could check. Do you happen to know if AM14 does in fact need to become heated during use for its stopping qualities to come "alive"?

Jim, I appreciate your checking, but I wonder if the AM14 material deteriorates over time? Royal Enfield supplied hubs to several companies, and it could be that all the models you've listed have in fact the same hub.

However, what I was hoping is to unearth the supply of a modern lining material with a high friction co-efficient, possibly even better than AM14.

Thanks to all,
.. Grregg

Okay...here's what my information says about what models used the AM14 material.

OH....I might add that all I have is the info on BSA, Norton and Triumph

T-100R Daytona Super Sports 1968/on Front TR/32/1

TR-6, 6-T, T-120 1966/on (8 hole) Front TR/32/1

I happen to have a set of those here...



and if this photo turns out okay...you might be able to make out the AM14 printed on the inside of the lining.




Gordon (aka Opie)

Morn'n Gordon, I do have a few more boxes of linings. Are the ones in question on the list? Dick

Good morning Mr Harris.

I "think" what Gregg is looking for is a discussion about the lining material AM14 and maybe finding a better new replacement.

Here's what he wrote:

"However, what I was hoping is to unearth the supply of a modern lining material with a high friction co-efficient, possibly even better than AM14."

Hope you're doing well.

Take care, your friend in NC Gordon

Exactly correct Gordon, and sorry for the confusion. (But, now I know who 'Mr. Harris' is!).

I appreciate yours and Dick's effort, and I should have been more clear about my objectives in starting this thread:
1. stimulate some discussion about the suitability of AM14 for today's riding conditions (eg, does it need to warm up before becoming effective?)
2. is there a better lining material made today, with a higher friction coefficient?

Lining wear or long life is not really a concern.

With thanks,
... Gregg

There is a company by the name of "Vintage Brake" in California I think. I'm sure they will have any and all info that may be needed. Dick

Excellent suggestion Dick. Thank you! I found the following info, which is where I will start:

http://www.vintagebrake.com/compounds.htm

.. Gregg

I've had excellent results with this stuff for both race and street:
http://www.mcmaster.com/#6224k345/=ry7gnn

Hi Alex
I have never worked with this stuff,
so could you explain your method of cutting this to width,
and also how do you curve it to the shape of the shoes?
I have used JB weld for bonding before with good results, is this what you use?
sorry for all the questions, thanks for the help
Cheers
Dennis B

Dennis, I cut it on a bandsaw but any metalworking techniques will work. I've riveted this materialand I've glied it as well. Both seem to work well.

Thanks Alex
I ordered 3 feet of lining and will post results
Cheers
Dennis B

Luckily I had 2 sets of shoes that needed relining
first attempt resulted in an OK job
second attempt resulted in a perfect set
I installed these in my street Victor, and they feel great
a big improvement on the old rock hard linings



not a real hard job, just remove old linings, and clean
when you order the new lining, if your shoes are say 1" wide
order material that is 2 1/2" wide (so you have a little to play with)
a band saw works well. I scored mine with a knife and straight edge first



I used a 7" drum as part of my gluing jig. dry fit before mixing any glue (I used JB Weld)
after 24 hours of drying I cured the epoxy by baking the shoes @ 325 degrees (F) for 1 hour
(that is the first completed set on top of the gloves)



I didn't do this for the sake of saving money, I wanted to see if there was something better
these are better

Hope this helps someone
Cheers
Dennis B

Dennis....I can't see the photos??????

Glad it worked out for you....I might give that a try one of these days. :bigt

Enjoy the summer......your friend Gordon in NC

I edited my post, are the pictures coming up?
that's wierd, on my computer they showed?
Cheers
Dennis B
P,S. and thank you Alex for the tip

Dennis....must be my computer at home because I can view the photos here at work

I like the idea of better linings and will give that a try...looks GREAT. Love the jig ...... :bigt and a sneak peak at your shop.

You're one of those fellows I look up to when it comes to making these thing work.

Take care and hope our paths cross again one day.....Gordon

Nice Job there Dennis. They do work pretty well, don't they? It does take a little bit more work than ordering a ready-made set of shoes, but sometimes you don't have that option. Besides, I think these linings work a lot better than the emgo ones I got once but I haven't ever gotten any vintage brake linings so wouldn't know how those compare.

I'm sure brake linings use a special glue that has to be baked. Ask a brake company where they get it. Even though I love JB weld I wouldn't want to trust it for this application.

Great job Dennis!
The last set I put on was Ferodo. I won those years ago as a door prize. Don't know which compound they are, but they work about as well as any comical rear brake.
Been a long time since I had a drum on the front, had a DLS on a Triumph 500, worked really well.

David
were these asbestos linings?
I was wondering how they would compair to the Emgo type after market stuff

Downhere
I'm surprised at your comment
I have been using epoxy for over 40 years
JB Weld is stronger than any glue available in the 40's and 50's
heat curing is what gives it real strength
and I can honestly say I trust my life to it in this application
Cheers
Dennis B

I have no idea, though I don't remember any large warning label on the box.
I probably won them at a BIBR rally back in the '90's. They came with rivets and holes pre-drilled, if that dates them.
Hard to compare linings on a comical rear brake, that brake never gets much better than dang near useless.