Custom Brakes were Featured on Wheeler Dealers

Finding replacement shoes for classic cars can be challenging, and this wasn’t an exception for Mike Brewer and the Wheeler Dealer team. 

In Season 10 Episode 10 of Wheeler Dealers, Mike purchased his first Polish car – a 1983 FSM Syrena during his visit to Poland. The Syrena had various models – 100, 101, 102, 103 and 104, while the most popular was model 105. Although a total of 521,311 were made during its long production run, the Syrena underwent only a few minor modifications.

When Mike returned to the UK and inspected the classic car, he found that the brake shoes needed replacement as the friction surface was inadequate and unsafe. Like many classic car enthusiasts, finding replacement brake shoes for classic cars can be a challenge and often an impossible task. Mike struggled to find a suitable set and as a result, he contacted Custom Brakes and Hydraulics to help refurbish and reline the existing set brake shoes. Once the brake shoes were removed and Mike had them in hand, he visited our engineering facility in Sheffield and witnessed first-hand our process for how we reline brake shoes for classic cars.

We began by removing the current asbestos brake lining and rivets, we then bead-blasted the entire steel shoes to remove any remaining dust and debris, this helps the new brake lining adhere to the steel shoe. After seeing our bead blaster, Mike nominated himself to do this as he enjoys using a bead blaster and viewing the final results. We then cut new asbestos-free brake lining and adhered it to the shoe by using an ultra-strong adhesive. The brake lining was then bonded and baked onto the steel shoe for an hour to ensure a safe and durable adhesion. Once fully bonded the edge of the linings are sanded making them ready to be fitted on to the classic car. Mike was delighted with the outcome, quality of service and price, he even commented “English engineering heritage is alive and well and is kicking in Sheffield – brakes that don’t break the bank.’

You can watch re-runs of the entire episode or watch it on Discovery+ to see first-hand the process of how we reline brake shoes for classic cars. We were delighted to be chosen to feature in the episode and showcase the range of services we offer. Helping Mike make his classic car safe and roadworthy is what we do for 100’s of customers across the United Kingdom.

With over 40 years of experience, we offer advice and expertise on relining all brake and clutch components. We offer a full in-house brake, clutch, bonding, and riveting, relining, and machining service in our workshop in Sheffield. If you are having a hard time finding replacement shoes for your classic car, we can help.