Old brake shoes don't wear out so much as fall apart. The friction lining cracks and lets go from the steel shoe underneath, and once it's metal-on-metal your Trail 90 barely stops at all. These replacement shoes fit both the front and rear drums and bring the brakes back.
On a fifty-year-old CT90, the lining usually delaminates from the shoe long before it wears thin. You'll get weak braking, a lever or pedal that needs more and more travel, and eventually the lining crumbling off in chunks. The wear-indicator arrow often never reaches its mark, because the shoes fail this way first.
We stock these in two grades. Premium is an organic friction material for a stock feel; Service is a semi-metallic compound for stronger stopping power. The same shoe works in the front drum and the rear drum, so it's the one part for either end.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Tools needed: Brake cleaner, brake grease, 80-grit sandpaper, new cotter pins, gloves, eye protection.
Keep grease off the friction surface. If any gets on the lining, clean it with brake cleaner — contamination kills braking.
These fit both the front and rear drum, and they're the same shoe. Order one for the drum you're servicing, or two if you're doing the front and the rear.
Premium is an organic friction material, closest to the stock feel. Service is a semi-metallic compound with stronger stopping power. Both bolt right in; the choice is how you want the brakes to feel.
Don't wait for the wear-indicator arrow. On these old bikes the lining usually delaminates from the metal shoe before the indicator ever reaches its mark, so pull the wheel and look. Cracking, glazing, or the lining separating from the steel means it's time.
Last updated: July 2026
