getting the right brake parts (and parts in general)

[ultra2extreme]

Hey guys, ordered a set of shoes with springs and adjusters for my car little while back did all the usual supplied reg etc confirmed make etc

Then came today to quickly strip them down only to find the shoes were way off the drum diameter, loads bigger, and even the spring set wasnt right for either the OEM or the replacement best i could tell.

Its been a constant thing with this C3 that everything i order is always wrong and wasting a ton of my time. Is there a good resource out there that is specific for finding parts that actually fit on your car? Or at the very least does anyone have any tips for getting the right brake parts as these seem to vary much more than other things. I just want to be able to order things and have the right bits before i waste an evening stripping something down to find its totally wrong

[GiveMeABreak]

If it’s Euro Car Parts forget them!

It’s a fact that aftermarket parts suppliers are useless. The reg is no good for getting parts and their databases are usually wrong.

The best thing you can do is ask here for the official part numbers for what you need and then you can search on that number for genuine parts or the equivalent.

[GiveMeABreak]

They should be 203 x 38 diameter, part number 1606631180

[ultra2extreme]

They should be 203 x 38 diameter, part number 1606631180

Can i manually measure this m8y without taking off the drum again? is it an external measurement?

[Peter.N.]

I get most of my bits from ebay but carefully examine the pictures and compare them be for I order. With brake parts having variable sizes the only sure way is to measure them first, its a bind but speeds the job up eventually.

Peter

[GiveMeABreak]

They should be 203 x 38 diameter, part number 1606631180

Can i manually measure this m8y without taking off the drum again? is it an external measurement?

I've never touched brake drums and shoes, but here's a PDF with a guide on the measurements in case it helps:

https://www.apecbraking.co.uk/getattach ... lang=en-GB

[Gibbo2286]

You can probably get the best results from a local motor factor, they're a nationwide group who have members on most localities,
They supply the motor trade but most will also have a retail counter for the general public.

https://www.thepartsalliance.com/contac ... h-finder/