Just bought 1990 excella brake question

[safariuser]

Just purchased 1990 excella, so far have pulled two of the three road side drums and measured the depth of brake pads (to the top of the rivet) with a tire tread depth guage and just a hair less than 2/32 left, pretty even across all rivets. Is it time to replace these brakes or can I run them a while?

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by safariuser

Just purchased 1990 excella, so far have pulled two of the three road side drums and measured the depth of brake pads (to the top of the rivet) with a tire tread depth guage and just a hair less than 2/32 left, pretty even across all rivets. Is it time to replace these brakes or can I run them a while?

Since the brakes are 20 years old, I would replace them.

You only have maye a couple of thousands of miles left on the originals, anyway.

You can now purchase electric brakes, that are self adjusting.

Simply replace the complete backing plate, which costs just a little more that the shoes, but probably around the next corner, you would need the magnets too.

Magnets and shoes cost more than a complete backing plate.

Andy

[safariuser]

Andy: I'm correct in assuming these are likely the original shoes? Are you basing that on the rivets? If you look at the level of rust elsewhere around the axle, break mounting flange, within the brake mechanism itself, it all looks about the same to me. The reason I ask is the man I bought this from only put less than a thousand miles on it in the two years he owned it and he said the previous owner had inherited it from his father. I'm just trying to get an idea of the total mileage. What do you think?