NAPA brake shoe suggestions?

[bgilbert]

I'm putting new brake shoes and wheel bearings on a Dana 80 that will be going under my crew cab. I'm kinda partial to NAPA parts. They seem to have 4 lines of brake shoes. Just wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to which ones I should go with. I'm leaning towards the lower end "Tru-Stop" $35 units. There's a "Safety-Stop, Ultra Premium and Severe Duty ultra premium". It's funny cause I've never actually done brakes. I've always had parts trucks or axles that had excellent brakes to which I just took the whole backing plate with brakes attached and swapped them out . But this 80 will be getting all new parts. Thanks.

[Richie O]

The cheaper the shoes, the quicker they will wear. I don't usually buy the cheapest, but don't get the high end ones either.

[ellis93]

Cheap shoes=organic=wear fast lots of dust
Medium price=semi-matallic=normal wear some dust
High price=usually some kind of ceramic flaked semi-metallic= hardly any dust but makes the drum wear
Like mr RichieO o said go middle of the road.

[rebel horseman]

That's what I did on mine when my caliper pooped out. Went with the middle of the road pads and they are still in good shape after 10 or 15k miles. While you're in there you may want to check the caliper function. My caliper died (wouldn't release pressure) so I had to swap it all at the same time. A lifetime set of front calipers should run you about $120 or so.

[bgilbert]

I went to NAPA, they had the 'cheap' Tru-Stop brakes and the high end Severe Duty Ultra Premium units. I looked at both of them, and they were identical. Either someone messed up and put the wrong ones in the wrong box or the like. You couldn't tell them apart, both were the same shoe material and riveted material. So you can guess which ones I bought . Now I just need to figure out how to remove the spring hardware lol.

[Mark Nixon]

So you can guess which ones I bought . Now I just need to figure out how to remove the spring hardware lol.

Why, the most expensive ones, because you're a retired millionaire with wads of cash hanging from every pocket.

NAPPY? for parts?

Mark.

[Richie O]

I bet they look the same, but the cheap ones are made from tomatoes and horse crap.

[dazedandconfused]

At one time I found a posting of a study done on Autozone break shoes. The cheap and middle ones were the same materials. Thays been 5 or 6 years ago but it was a study done at a university by a student for his final. Not been able to find it since my cumputer crashed.