Drive brake shoe/stroke measurements?

I just replace drums every time.
With quality parts. Don’t be tempted to go cheap parts. Also if trl axles have semi fluid grease. At time of brake job is the ideal time to pull hubs snd check bearings and replace seals. Semi fluid grease is not life time lubricant.

 

How were your brakes when you started driving that truck?
That will tell you how much or fast you wear on your brakes.
I've put one set on my front drive axle in 350K miles. Got the truck with 400K miles on it.

You still got plenty left imo.

 

Yes some things defy logic. Then science changes their answer to fit what they cannot explain at times.
Most drive and trailer drums have a maximum diameter of 16.620. About 16 and 5/8 inches on the wear limit for reuse. Some slightly deeper grooves at rivet holes is no big deal to me. Figure the linings will wear on the other 95% and it will all work out.
I see folks scream about worn out brake shoes all the time. Take a 1/4 inch open end wrench and compare it to the lining they are complaining about.
They are normally no where close and I never want to run shoes there. There is a combination to be considered which is lining and drum wear. If the drums are at the outer limits and the shoes are 75% worn they can cause a cam over and or just lock up situation. Look how close the rollers are coming to the end of the s cam.
The shoulder worn in the outside of the drum can hide a lot of the remaining lining. An outfit at the bottom of Mount Eagle has a program to cut that groove off the drum or replace them. They must have been put in a tough spot.