Backer Plates

[Bstanley]

Hi all, I am doing some restoration on an 83 Ranger. I am trying to locate a couple rear brake backer plates. I cannot find any anywhere. Any suggestions? Or is there another make/model that would be compatible with this generation?

 

[Uncle Gump]

Are they 9 inch brakes?

Last time I was looking 9 inch backing plates were pretty much everywhere.

If 10 inch... those appear near unobtainium nowadays.

 

[19Walt93]

Being in road salt country, if mine looked like that I'd clean them up, coat them with POR 15, and put them back on.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I agree, they don't look bad at all.

 

[Bstanley]

I have since that pic cleaned them, and I do have POR 15, my concern is, there are significant gouges where the shoes sit, like maybe the wrong shoes were put on or someone ran them too far down.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I typically put a scotch Brite pad on my right angle die grinder and buff up the bosses. They actually have some checkering on the bosses too. I believe it hardens that surface a bit. They wear usually from improper maintenance and no lube to slide on. As long as there is no heavy groove for the shoes to hang on... I would likely run them.

 

[RobbieD]

I read somewhere that the checkered grooves are there to help retain the small amount of lubricant that's supposed to be put there. Correct shoes will have tabs to ride on the bosses which should lessen the wear, but on a 43 year old truck you can run into all kinds of mechanical carnage.

 

[pjtoledo]

I have since that pic cleaned them, and I do have POR 15, my concern is, there are significant gouges where the shoes sit, like maybe the wrong shoes were put on or someone ran them too far down.

from the factory there is a cross-hatch pattern where the shoes contact the plates. it has diamond shaped dimples/pits.
is that what you are concerned about?
how 'bout a pic, closeup preferred.

 

[19Walt93]

I have since that pic cleaned them, and I do have POR 15, my concern is, there are significant gouges where the shoes sit, like maybe the wrong shoes were put on or someone ran them too far down.

There is supposed to be a thin coat of lubricant- I use copper never seize- where the shoes rub on the backing plates, even with lube wear happens. If the gouges are too deep you can run a bead of weld over them and grind them flat with an abrasive disc on a drill. I've never welded one but I've smoothed a bunch of them with abrasive discs. I use an attachment and discs like this. I like the brown, medium grit ones.

 

[Bstanley]

Definitely not a “checkered” pattern. These are gouges. I’m not a welder, but my wife got me a cheap Lincoln flux core welder for Xmas because I have always wanted to learn. Guess I just need to learn fast so I can fix these.

 

[JoshT]

I'd probably put it back together and run them as is, but I think a little welding and grinding is a better course of action than hunting for replacements. If I still had a spare first gen axle lying around I'd be willing to pull and ship them, but I think all of mine currently have trucks sitting on them.

My 68 F-100 still has the stock backing plates. If I cleaned them upo I'd probably find the same, but they still work fine. Well one would look worse since the bottom of the plate got groun doff on asphalt when the wheel decided to go the other direction.

 

[sgtsandman]

Definitely not a “checkered” pattern. These are gouges. I’m not a welder, but my wife got me a cheap Lincoln flux core welder for Xmas because I have always wanted to learn. Guess I just need to learn fast so I can fix these.

Those gouges are probably fine but my OCD tendencies would make me take the backing plate(s) to shop to fill in the gouges. My local weld shop wouldn't charge much at all for a job like that and would be way easier than hunting down another set of backing plates.

 

[Josh B]

Hi all, I am doing some restoration on an 83 Ranger. I am trying to locate a couple rear brake backer plates. I cannot find any anywhere. Any suggestions? Or is there another make/model that would be compatible with this generation?

Good luck with it man, welcome to TRS