Changed my mind about those budget brake shoes from Amazon

I used to swear by paying extra for OEM brake shoes on elevators, but after trying a set of $45 Centurion pads on a 10-story model in Austin last month, I'm switching. The stopping felt rough for the first 200 cycles, but once they seated, they actually grabbed smoother than the factory parts. My coworker Dave ran the same set on a 6-stop freight car for 8 months with zero issues. I still spent 2 hours adjusting the backlash compared to 30 minutes with OEM, but saving $120 per unit is hard to ignore. Has anyone else noticed these cheap pads needing a longer break-in period in humid climates?

2 comments

2 Comments

jamesm4819d ago

Wait, hold up - you put Centurion pads on a 10-story elevator in Austin? I thought those were just for like, temporary job site lifts or something. Did you have to do any extra shimming or did they really just bolt right in? lol

johnson.jason19d ago

Bolt patterns on those Centurion pads are actually standardized to match most OEM elevator rails, so they went right on without any extra shimming on that Austin job. I guess the real question is why nobody thought to use them in permanent installs earlier, since they're built just as tough as any factory pad I've seen. Seems like a no-brainer for any mid-rise if you ask me, saves a ton of headache on alignment.