John,
I need to explain my situation regarding my thoughts on brakes. Both of my total restorations ('50 COE, '37 1/2 ton) involved trucks at the end of their useful lives, sort of like basket cases, but not quite. Shoes were rusted to the drums sort of thing. I am not an expert in automotive engineering and don't have a lifetime of experience with these issues. Forging ahead with advice from knowledgeable friends and a local shop, Phoenix Brake and Clutch, I had drums turned and the shoes ground to match the radius. The last time I did this was about 3 years ago and I don't know if they still do it and was disappointed by Jerry's comment that it is hard to find a place to perform this job. I do like his suggestion, however, of how to do it yourself. My first old vehicle was my '42 and I had the shoes replaced. without arcing, but the first time I tried to stop going down Elk's hill on Gurley street in Prescott, AZ I ended up going through a red light, despite cramming the brake pedal as hard as I could. With proper preparation on my total restorations, the Huck brakes can lock up the wheels and are much safer.
Thus, I cannot contribute more than just my anecdotes to this discussion. I was just trying to bring up a couple thoughts that were not addressed previously in this thread.
Kent
