Drum Brake Shoes (Front) | Honda CL360 / CJ360
The friction lining on a fifty-year-old brake shoe comes away from the steel shoe body long before it wears thin. That is how these fail, which is why the amount of lining left on yours tells you very little.
Why You Need This
Brake shoes are the first part we tell people to replace on a vintage Honda project, whatever shape the bike is in. We hear from customers that there is plenty of material left and the brakes feel alright. It does not matter. What lets go is the bond between the lining and the steel core, and when that goes you have metal on metal and no front brake.
The front brake does about 80% of the stopping on these bikes. New front shoes have been a hard part to find for CL360 and CJ360 owners for years, which is why we source ours out of Europe.
Please note: supply has been disrupted, and we may substitute high-quality European-made shoes for the Japanese-made ones. The European shoes may not come with springs, so plan on reusing the springs from your current set.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|
| Replaces OEM Parts | 45120-369-670, 45120-286-000, 06450-369-405, 451A2-369-670, 45133-235-000 |
| Fits Models | CL360 K0 (1974), CL360 K1 (1975), CJ360T (1976–1977), plus the early drum-brake CB360 |
| Lining Wear Limit | Replace at 2.0 mm (0.08 in) or less |
| Sold As | Sold in sets |
Model-Specific Notes
- Early drum-brake CB360: these fit. Honda built a small number of CB360s with a front drum before switching the CB models to a disc, and those bikes use the same front shoes as the drum CB350. They are an uncommon bike — check your own front wheel before ordering.
- CB360 with a front disc: most CB360s are disc-front, and those take pads rather than shoes. You want Front Disc Brake Pads | Honda CB360.
- CL360: Honda kept the front drum on the CL360 for its whole production run, K0 through K1.
- CB350 / CL350 / SL350 K0: same shoe, different page — order our Drum Brake Shoes (Front) | Honda CB350 / CL350 / SL350 K0.
- Not the CB450 or CB550 shoe. Look at your old set: if the shoes pivot on two posts retained by cotter pins, that is the larger CB450 and CB550 brake, not this one.
- Rear shoes are a different part — see our Drum Brake Shoes (Rear) | Honda CB360 / CL360 / CJ360.
Installation
Difficulty: Intermediate
Tools needed: brake caliper grease, sandpaper, brake cleaner, new cotter pins
- Pull the front wheel and separate the brake panel from the hub.
- Before anything comes apart, find the punch marks on the brake arm and the cam. They have to line up again on reassembly, and they are easy to lose track of. Mark them yourself if you cannot see them.
- Spread the old shoes off the panel and check the drum surface while it is open.
- Put a light coat of brake caliper grease on the shoe pivot points. Keep it sparing, and keep it off the friction surface entirely.
- Fit the new shoes to the brake cams, add the anchor pin washers, and secure them with new cotter pins.
- Refit the brake arms with the punch marks aligned, reassemble the wheel, and set the free play.
Prep the drum. If the drum has gone shiny, knock the glaze back to a dull grey with sandpaper and clean it with brake cleaner before the new shoes go in. Wear gloves and eye protection, and do not breathe the dust.
Free play. Set the front brake lever to 20 to 30 mm of free play measured at the end of the lever. Do the main adjustment at the brake arm on the panel — loosen the lock nut and turn the adjusting nut, clockwise to reduce play — and use the cable adjuster at the lever for the last bit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know when the shoes are worn out?
Your bike has a wear indicator built into the front brake: a red arrow beside the brake arm moves toward a red reference mark on the brake panel as the lining wears. If the arrow reaches the mark under full braking, pull the shoes and measure. Replace at 2.0 mm or less. In practice the lining usually separates from the shoe body long before it wears down that far, so inspect the bond too.
Do these come with new springs?
Not necessarily. When we are shipping the European-made substitute, plan on reusing the springs off your old shoes.
Will these fit my CB360?
Only if it has a front drum. Honda built a small number of drum-brake CB360s before switching the CB models to a disc, and those use these shoes. Every other CB360 is disc-front and takes pads instead. Look at the front wheel: a cable running to a brake arm on the hub means drum, a caliper and hose means disc.
Are the front and rear shoes the same?
No. They look alike but they are different parts and are not interchangeable.
How can I tell these are the right shoes for my bike?
Compare them to what comes out. If your old shoes pivot on two posts held by cotter pins, you have the larger CB450 and CB550 brake and these are not it.
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Last updated: August 2026
