[Bench Racer]

This thought process may be of some help. Several years ago I was going to re do the brakes on my OLD Ford tractor that has mechanical drum brakes. I spoke with a brake rebuilder in Asheville, NC. He told me that routinely used a very soft shoe for the old tractors to aid with stopping as it had better gripping with the drum. He sad he had many times replaced shoes on a new tractors with the soft shoe to aid breaking in the mountains. If you have been through N.C. to Bristol you have seen the terrain he is talking about. An 8N Ford with a 1/2 ton of fire wood behind it idling down a steep incline,, you get the picture. I would see this brake shoe issue no different than a Stocker foot braking against the converter. It might be worth looking into what some brake shoe rebuilder's have. My Dad was an Old School mechanic and flat head racer back in the 1960's. I remember as a kid he used a lot of profanity when it came to hard as diamond "lifetime" brake pads and shoes that his customers wanted. He said they are harder than the damned drums and rotors and squeal like hell, what would you rather wear out first the pads or the rotors. Just my .02. Don Jackson