difference of high vs low cost brake linings ?

Most of the time the cost difference between brake linings on the same style shoe is due to the weight rating of the axle braking capacity.

The cheaper shoes will have a weight rating of 20,000 Lbs. The higher price shoes will usually have a weight capacity of 23,000 Lbs. The higher weight capacity will stop the truck faster with less applied air pressure to the braking system, but will also have a higher coefficient of friction. The higher friction capacity of the 23,000 lb shoes will wear the brake drums faster and usually means that you'll have to purchase new drums at the next brake job. I always run the 23,000 Lb brake shoe for the fact that I can stop in a shorter distance than I can with the 20,000 Lb shoes in an emergency situation. You also don't want to mix and match these shoes on the same axle...........you really don't want to mix and match them on the same truck in my opinion. The 20,000 lb shoes can be found easily on the road if you have a break down and need new shoes quickly. Most on road/on call service repair shops won't carry the 23,000 lb shoes.

 

There's a trade off. With better linings come increased drum wear. Something has to wear when you are dealing with friction. But the ability to handle heat is better, thus reducing glazing and fade and increased effectiveness.

According to the NHTSA and their tests, OE (original equipment) linings will out perform AM (after market) significantly.
Maintenance issues play a big role on how long they will last too. Not properly adjusted or a rough drum will wear them out quicker.

Does it say Made in China on the box?

 

Cheaper linings also seem to crack apart before they are worn down we find too.

 

They definitely stop faster and since I usually replace the drums anyway the added wear isn't a big deal. You can tell the difference immediately, they grab hard. But like Mr.Haney said I wouldn't mix and match, I did by accident. Put the better shoes (grade 5's i believe) on one side of an axle and abex on the rest of the trailer. The wheels with the better shoes would lock up.

If you want to do some reading this is kind of interesting. It's an "S-Cam Brake Effectiveness Comparison
Using Two Fixtures and Two Lining Types on a Single Inertia Dynamometer"

 

Once saw a magazine advertisement for brake shoes.
It was a picture of a road surface with skid marks right up to a smashed armco barrier.
On the other side there was just a deep ravine that you could not see the bottom of.

The caption read , "The good news is he saved $20 on cheap brake shoes".

 

Just as the members have said, only alittle more direct.... Brakes aint the place to be looking to save a few bucks. Set of drums, good shoes and related hardware is a bunch cheaper than wishing you had them...

 

...and if the cheap shoes had enough friction to lock the brakes how exactly would more expensive shoes have helped?

 

That was not the point but .... the skid marks were from the few good shoes he still had fitted . If he had been as smart as he thought he was and fitted quality linings when the originals were worn.
There would have been no hypothetical skid marks, no hypothetical broken armco barrier, no funny advertisement and no hypothetical explanation from me for the question you were smart enough to ask.

Don't be a Tightwad , get the good linings.

 

Haha, you beat me to the punchline. I expected that comment from a tightwad.