Rear Drum Brake Shoes | Honda CB500K / CB550K / CB550F
Old friction material delaminates from the steel shoe core after 40+ years on the bike — leaving you with metal-on-metal contact and a rear brake that won't stop you. These OEM-style replacement shoes restore stopping power on the medium-sized leading-trailing drum brake used across the four-cylinder CB500K, CB550K, and CB550F Super Sport families.
Why You Need This
If your bike still has its factory shoes, the friction lining is probably starting to delaminate from the steel core underneath. You'll feel it as weak braking, glazed friction surfaces, and a rear pedal that needs more and more travel to do its job. The factory wear-indicator — an arrow on the brake arm that lines up with a reference mark on the brake panel under full pedal — almost never reads "worn" before the lining is already failing in other ways.
Look for the OEM Honda Motors "HM" stamp on your existing shoes — if you see it, you're running 40+ year old original parts. Time for a refresh.
We stock these in two grades: Premium (organic friction material, new springs included) and Service (semi-metallic compound for stronger stopping power, reuses your OEM springs).
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|
| Replaces OEM Part | 06430-458-405, 431A0-458-670, 06430-390-405, 43120-283-000, 43120-404-003, 43120-458-670, 95014-74320, 43151-283-000 |
| Fits Models | CB500K K0-K2 (1971-1973), CB550K K0-K4 (1974-1978), CB550F Super Sport (1975-1977) |
| Sold As | Set (pair) — select Premium Grade or Service Grade at checkout |
| Identifying Mark | Two pivots on the brake panel with cotter pins through them — confirms you have the medium-sized drum family (the smaller CB350/CB360/CB400F drum has a different shoe) |
| Brake Style | Single-cam, single-pivot leading-trailing drum (internal expanding) |
Note: Service Grade shoes ship without springs — you reuse your OEM springs. Premium Grade includes new replacement springs. If your bike's original springs are stretched, kinked, or corroded, choose Premium.
Model-Specific Notes
- CB500K (1971-1973): The inline-four CB500 — NOT the same bike as the CB500T twin (1975-1976). If you own a CB500T, see the CB450 / CL450 / CB500T Rear Brake Shoes instead.
- CB550K (1974-1978): All K-suffix variants K0 through K4 use the same rear brake assembly. No redesign across the K-series.
- CB550F Super Sport (1975-1977): Same rear brake as CB550K — the F variant differs only in the swing-arm tip design (which is built so the rear wheel can't walk off the axle). Brake hardware is identical.
- Twin family — different SKU: The exact same physical shoe is used on the parallel-twin CB450 / CL450 / CB500T family, but it's stocked under a different SKU. See CB450 / CL450 / CB500T Rear Brake Shoes if you have a twin.
- Does NOT fit: CB350F, CB400F, CB350, CB360, CB750, CL77 305 Scrambler, CM450E. The 350/360/400F four-cylinder family uses a smaller drum brake; the CB750 uses a much larger rear drum; the CL77 and CM450E use entirely different brake architectures.
Installation
Difficulty: Intermediate
Tools needed: Brake cleaner, synthetic disc brake caliper grease, anti-seize compound, 80-grit sandpaper or wire brush, new cotter pins, gloves, eye protection.
- Pull the rear wheel and separate the brake panel from the hub. Inspect your old shoes for the OEM "HM" stamp — if you see it, they're factory original.
- Pry out the felt dust ring and set aside (reusable).
- Note the punch-mark alignment between the cam and the brake arm — a black dot on the cam should align with a black dot on the arm. If the marks aren't visible, make your own with a Sharpie before removing the arm.
- Remove the brake arm pinch bolt and pull the arm off the cam splines.
- Pull the cotter pins on the shoe pivots. Wiggle one shoe out from under spring tension to release the springs — easier than fighting both shoes at once.
- Toss the old shoes (recyclable as scrap). Discard the old cotter pins — never reuse them.
- Break the glaze inside the drum with 80-grit sandpaper. You're not removing material, just cutting through the polished surface back to bare iron. Wipe down with brake cleaner.
- Clean the cam, pivots, and brake panel with brake cleaner. Apply a light coat of synthetic disc brake caliper grease to (a) the cam grease groove, (b) the pivot face where it rubs the panel, and (c) the shoe-mount flats. Wipe excess immediately — grease on the friction surface ruins braking.
- Apply anti-seize compound to the brake arm splines and the arm pinch bolt — makes future removal far easier.
- Reinstall the brake arm, aligning your punch marks. Verify orientation: with the arm at rest, your brake rod should reach naturally — if you'd have to pull it 180° backward to connect, the cam is installed in the wrong position.
- Hook one end of each spring into the new shoe first, then snap the spring-tensioned shoe pair down onto the panel pivots. Far easier than installing shoes first and stretching springs after.
- Install new cotter pins from the top side and spread the legs.
- Reinstall the felt dust ring and reassemble the wheel.
- Adjust rear pedal free play: 20-30 mm (¾-1⅛ in) per the CB550 factory manual.
If grease contacts the friction surface: Spray with brake cleaner and wipe thoroughly. Any contamination kills braking.
Brake dust safety: Wear gloves and eye protection. Don't inhale the dust from old shoes.
Our full rear brake rebuild walkthrough — shoe identification, drum prep, grease points, punch-mark alignment, and the spring install trick. Same procedure on every bike in this brake family.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my CB500 a four-cylinder or a twin?
The CB500K (1971-1973) is the four-cylinder Honda — these shoes fit. The CB500T (1975-1976) is the parallel-twin in the CB450 family — its shoes ship under a different SKU. Quick check: the four-cylinder has four exhaust pipes; the twin has two. If you have a twin, see the CB450 / CL450 / CB500T Rear Brake Shoes.
Should I get Premium Grade or Service Grade?
Premium Grade is organic friction material with new springs included — what most riders want for a stock-feeling rebuild. Service Grade is a semi-metallic compound for stronger stopping power but ships without springs (you reuse your OEM springs). Pick Service if you ride harder and your factory springs are still in good shape. If your original springs look stretched, kinked, or corroded, go Premium.
Do these fit my CB450 / CL450 / CB500T?
The physical shoe is the same — Honda used this brake assembly on both engine families — but the parallel-twin family is stocked under a different SKU. Order the CB450 / CL450 Scrambler / CB500T Rear Brake Shoes if you have a twin.
Does my CB550F Super Sport use the same shoes as the CB550K?
Yes. Honda used the same rear brake hardware on both. The CB550F-A export variant differs from the CB550K in the swing-arm tip design — the F-A's rear fork is shaped so the wheel can't walk off the axle — but the brake panel, drum, shoes, and springs are identical.
How do I know my brake shoes are actually worn?
Look for the wear-indicator arrow on the rear brake arm. Apply the rear brake firmly — if the arrow lines up with the reference mark cast into the brake panel, the shoes are worn out per the factory spec. In practice, the friction lining almost always delaminates from the steel core before the wear indicator triggers — so visually inspect for cracking or separation when the wheel is off.
Do I need new cotter pins?
Yes — always replace cotter pins on every install. They're cheap and you don't want a brake-shoe pivot pin walking out under load. Any auto parts store or hardware aisle has them.
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Last updated: May 2026
