PSA: Switching to magnetic brake shoes changed my whole view on traction maintenance

I used to be one of those guys who swore by the old phenolic brake shoes. Thought magnetic ones were just a gimmick for new builds. But last month I had to do a full traction test on a 6-car gearless Otis in a 15-floor office tower downtown. The old shoes were grabbing uneven and we were getting this weird chatter on the governor. My buddy who runs the service contract on that building convinced me to swap in a set of magnetic shoes he had in his truck. After we adjusted them and ran the car for about 3 days, the difference was night and day. The stops were smooth, no chatter, and the test results came back way more consistent. Now I'm rethinking every old-school method I've been stubborn about. Has anyone else seen a big change after switching shoe types on an older elevator?

2 comments

2 Comments

johnson.lee14d ago

Man DUDE you hit the nail on the head. I've been saying for years the old phenolic stuff just doesn't cut it once the pads get any kind of glazing. The magnetic shoes read the rail way better and that uneven grab goes away completely.

holly_gonzalez6114d ago

Oh man, you are so right about that. I had a set of the old phenolic pads on a job last year and they were just grabbing all weird once they heated up. Switched to the magnetic shoes and it was a night and day difference, way smoother. It's funny how people still swear by the old stuff but they just don't hold up anymore.