DOT Blitz- Brake shoe wear indicator???

I would say it's very subjective. One would OOS, while another says good.

I try to keep brakes and tires in a condition that there's no questioning they're good.

 

Depends on how bad a day the revenue pig is having

 

It’s goofy for sure. I even got a level 3 once and everything was good but the the disc brakes had dust Shields and because he couldn’t see around them he wouldn’t give me my sticker.

 

I’d assume when any point is less than 1/4 thick you are opening yourself up for trouble….unfortunately your at their mercy
If you’re worried about the edge being worn down but can’t afford new parts take the drums off and flip the shoes around…while you’re at it take a hand grinder and knock off that ridge at the edge of the drum….. maybe cut the wear indicator down a little deeper to…
I used to work for a guy that always wanted me to do this….not generally my favorite idea but it would get him another couple months out of a set of brakes.
If you can put shields on them it helps keep the road grit from chewing up the edges of the drum and shoe. I know I didn’t answer your question but unfortunately the cheapest option is just don’t let them have the chance to decide how to interpret the 1/4 inch deal

 

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393.47
Federal Register :: Request Access
If you don’t carry a green book, you need to have the regs bookmarked.

 

As you approach 5/16" it's time. That's basically it. By the time you do another month or two it's going to be less than 1/4" and you're asking for trouble. The code is "Less than 1/4" but you know better than to roll in there with exactly 1/4" left on a shoe. Could you get by? Probably. But that's your decision. If you hit something and DOT goes under there and looks at the brakes, that's on you and your company. The way DOT sees it, If you are at 1/4" you have brakes but, a whole lot of people would be trying to stop their trucks with rivets on the drums if they said "Get this fixed before we see you next time"

 

I run discs, they don't even look. Because they cant

You old timers need to get a better braking system

 

I actually just picked up my first trailer with discs on Thursday,

 

Thoughts so far?