Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi,
Amongst the spares that came with my traveller were these brake shoes.
They appear new. However I don't recognise the manufacturer and my main concern is I can't tell how old they are and therefore whether they may contain asbestos.
Is someone on here familiar with them?
Many thanks,
Mike.

Difficult to be conclusive, however if the asbestos is a concern and the fact that you may only have one set.

and the fact that you may only have one set

Yes, only the one.
If anyone sees this and recognises / can age them etc. that would be useful in helping to decide what to do with them.
But for now I shall add them to my ever growing pile of items that I will place in front of my car at the next (proper) National, for those in need to help themselves to, FOC.
At this rate I shall have to bring a pasting table for it all ......
Mind you by 2022 it will have been building since 2019, so three years...
A few freebies for people to pick over, placed in front of my car at a National, no one has ever moaned about but I'm wondering whether I need to ask 'official permission' this time, even though it will all be for free.
If anyone reads this and knows the answer, I'd be grateful.
Best wishes,
Mike.

They look to be riveted linings. I was under the impression that most new Minor shoes have had the linings bonded, rather than riveted, for at least the last 25 years. Does anyone on here know any different? My best guess on the date from the logo and box would be late 70's to early 80's. I believe asbestos warning labels, as below, were required from 1985 onwards.
Personally, I think it's always safest to assume they do contain asbestos. Unless of course they specifically state 'Asbestos Free' and even then I take care, because ingesting any sort of brake dust is probably not good for your health. Then of course, there's always the possibility someone could have put older shoes in a newer box

They seem to be the same bonded shoes I once used, never again I should have known better, the bonding failed and jammed the drum miles from home, also scored the drum irretrievably. Never again, am using rivited now as I should in the first place.

Early bonded brake shoes were prone to the lining material becoming detached from the shoe. Nowadays the glue is much better and it is rare now to hear of brake linings coming adrift.
Having riveted hundreds of pairs of brake shoes in the past and regarding the bonded shoe - if done properly in my opinion the bonded lining to shoe is much better than the riveted version especially if precision ground after curing.
Even though the rivets were copper they could soon damage a brake drum if the lining was allowed to wear past the lower thickness limit.
Riveted linings need time to bed in whereas bonded shoes if precision ground are already at the same point/condition as bedded in linings.

If you’re giving those shoes away it would be prudent to make sure it’s a sensible person that takes them for personal use, given you don’t know if they contain asbestos or not.

The last thing you want is someone taking them, repackaging them and sticking them on eBay only for some poor unsuspecting soul to buy them and end up inhaling asbestos. Some people will do anything for a few pounds.

As has been said, I think you should go on the assumption that the shoes are asbestos - given the age of them (going by the packaging) as well as the similar example shown by MCYorks with the warning on it, I would be amazed if they are not asbestos. A picture of the lining material might be useful.

Regarding moving them on to someone else - my understanding from my wife (who works for the HSE but used to carry out asbestos surveys) is that it's illegal to sell asbestos-containing products. You can, of course, give them away.

In terms of using them, there are of course ways to minimise exposure to asbestos dust, through avoidance of using an airline anywhere in the proximity, and importantly, using a surfactant (like soapy water) over the brake shoes to immobilise the dust particles. You can, of course, also use a (well-fitted) dust mask. I've currently got modern bonded (Mintex) shoes on my 1000 but my Series MM has asbestos shoes on it still - I'm just cautious on those rare occasions that I need to remove the drums on that car.

Yes caution, rather than paranoia.

As liammonty stated, it's illegal to sell, but when does (il)legality stop people doing stuff.

As the UK total ban didn't come in until 2000, anything before that date has to be suspect.

Even after that, when it comes to component parts for things like cars, you can never be too sure.

In 2012, there was a recall in Australia for 2 brands of Chinese cars, about 25,000 of them, because they had been made with asbestos gaskets in the engine and exhaust systems.
Always keen to save a few $$, it was rumoured at the time that the cars were made with Asbestos Gaskets for home sales, in China, and non-asbestos for overseas, i.e. Australian sales.
Somewhere along the production line, the gaskets were mixed up 'accidentally', presumably .......
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19264680

The asbestos risk from brake and clutch linings is miniscule. Most of the brake dust in the drum is heavy and just sits where it collects... indeed you should not use an airline to blow them clean but a jug of water instead. If it was that bad everyone who worked in the garage trade repairing cars over the last 50 years would be dead. Just be sensible with it.

I agree to a point, the risk is low, but mustn't be brushed aside.

The amount current and former car mechanics are affected would depend on the amount they inhaled.
For many, it would just be a reduced lung capacity compared to if they hadn't breathed any in. But they would have just thought it 'natural' along with the fags they had used for years.
Look at how many people in their 60s are reasonably fit and active now, compared to back in the 1960s and 70s.
People who started their working lives in early 1950s, e.g. born mid 1930s, only had a life expectancy until about age 60.

geoberni wrote: ↑Thu Apr 15, 2021 10:26 am I agree to a point, the risk is low, but mustn't be brushed aside.

Err, you definitely don't want to BRUSH it aside... Use some detergent and water, as we've said

The trouble with asbestos is that some people are very much more susceptible than others to it. Some can inhale large amounts over the years without issue - for others, however, unfortunately all it takes is a few fibres.