Topic: Vesrah Old Stock - Asbestos?

[ben.cb500]

I have a set of brake shoes from Vesrah with the part number "Honda CB 725504 B", 2 sets to a box.

They look like old stock and before I take them out the plastic wrap, any way  of telling if they are Asbestos type pads? The pads are an oatmeal color....fwiw.

Thanks

[HondaMan]

Asbestos was outlawed in the late 1980s, while Vesrah didn't appear, IIRC, until the middle 1990s.

[bryanj]

Vesrah was in Uk 75 onwards and it had asbestos ingredients, as did the originals

[Gaither]

I aught to stay out of this!!

In that case, I suppose I'm breaking a law since my '77 550 still has the orig brake linings and pads. I'll have to  remember to not ride with my nose down next to the brakes.

Someone has said that about the same number of people have died from asbestos in brake linings as did from lead in gasoline. I worked in both for many years.

If I had those linings and my bike needed new linings, I'd just put 'em on it. And, no, I'm not remotely interested in participating in an argument about any of this.

Yeah, I should have stayed out of this!!

[dave500]

we still has asbestos in brakes till 02 or 03?afterwhich all stock on shevles had to be removed.

[seanbarney41]

fear not, the lead in your paint will balance out your karma dude, two negatives make a positive

[domer]

actually a good portion of the asbestos ban was overturned soon after it was banned, and while it isnt as common, it is still used in the states. gaskets and brake pads were one of many allowed to continue use. what ended up being banned (in short) was any "new" use of it.
horrible #$%* no matter what, and has killed a few of my family members...

[Gaither]

Sean -  Good point! The lead in paint deal is like the lead in gasoline deal - and Gore's Freon farce. The only thing wrong with freon was DuPont's patent expired and we could buy a can of freon (producec by anybody) @ $1.00!

Halon fire extinguishers came out just prior to the freon ban. It would put out even a fuel fire IMMEDIATELY! We will never know how many people have been (or will be) burned to death or badly burned (including firemen) because no one can use Halon extinguishers. It was even safe to breath, as you put out the fire! And, DuPont holds the patent on R-134, which, as you know, is much greater pressures and no where as efficient as freon. We have all been "had" - AGAIN!

Domer

Very sorry for your loss of family members. I lost a good friend because of asbestos. In such cases, it can be very hazardous. However, as you know, there is a VAST difference in working in the stuff for years and using it in brakes and clutch discs etc. How many of us have worked on brakes and clutches for many, many years with absolutely no ill effects? I, myself, can account for about 45 years.

As with all most all banned materials, the EPA and/or do-gooders know no rational or hold no middle ground. So, we all suffer and pay the expense for radical bans when reasonable restrictions would have served much better (at least in most cases).

Look at mercury in tooth fillings. Mercury is considered lethal in allmost all cases - except when your dentist packs it into your teeth. How inconsistant can they be!! If mercury was all that lethal, most of would have been dear years ago!

OK, I'll end my rant.

[HondaMan]

we still has asbestos in brakes till 02 or 03?afterwhich all stock on shevles had to be removed.

And sent to me! 

[dave500]

i missed out,i wanted to stock up on bendix"metal king" front pads for my car,now my front wheels go black in a fortnight.

[ben.cb500]

thanks for the input. I am going to assume from the age of the box and color of the material that they are probably shoes with Asbestos in them...

should I be concerned enough to not use them?

[seanbarney41]

Just don't lick them or sleep with them every night   No seriously, it is inhalation of asbestos dust that is dangerous.  If there is any dust in the package, don't disturb it or blow it around.   Also as your brakes wear, the pad/shoes turn to dust, don't use an air nozzle to clean this.  Use break cleaner, this the intended purpose of those highly effective but expensive aerosol cans.

[HondaMan]

thanks for the input. I am going to assume from the age of the box and color of the material that they are probably shoes with Asbestos in them...

should I be concerned enough to not use them?

Less than 0.5% of the population studied is 'sensitive' to asbestos, per the studies of the 1980s. You can make up your own mind about the risk from that fact alone.

A once good friend of mine, and fellow railfan, who worked for the Union Pacific all his life until he retired at 76 years of age, once told me about his job (and his team's work, 40 workers). He rewrapped the boilers of the giant steam locomotives of the UP for most his life. This was pure asbestos, in several forms, hand-wound around the giant engines, underneath their outer skins. It was all done by hand. After he celebrated his team's 20th post-retirement anniversary with about 1/3 of the total team, he died one night in 1987, of heart failure. He was not the oldest member of his team then: he was only 96. He had no other health problems, nor did his team members. Most had died of normal causes, a few from accidents. None had asbestos-related problems, including mesothelioma.

Life is full of televisioned hype... 

[Gaither]

Am I to assume the Gov, EPA and our "noble" media would lie - and in concert (smacks of conspiracy) How could I even suspect such a thing (considering lead, freon, DDT, asbestos, second-hand smoke, global warming, etc., etc)!!!!

Yep, liars all - and we their victims. I believe the media is the worst, most immediate enemy we have. They are the ones who dramatically pour all of this mess into our eyes, ears and minds - repeatedly until enough believe it. Then, they couch it so that if you disagree, you are either stupid, a criminal or insane. This, when it is really all about money and power!

Considering the many smoke-filled rooms in times gone by, if second-hand smoke was as bad as they tell us it is, there would be no one to convince. We would all be dead - a long time ago! Think about it.

Sorry, Hondaman, you hit a nerve (and I totally agree). I'll stop my rant.

[GammaFlat]

I realize we're in dangerous territory here but adding to the problem were the lawyers.  My uncle was allegedly exposed to asbestos and got his due of the settlement.  It was $62 from a class action lawsuit.  I'm sure the penalized company paid lots more than $62 per "victor" of the settlement.  I suspect many millions went to lawyers. 

Lawyers essentially decided which particulates were to be under the asbestos "umbrella"... for legal purposes.  Do you think this was a small umbrella?  Nah. 

[domer]

thanks for the input. I am going to assume from the age of the box and color of the material that they are probably shoes with Asbestos in them...

should I be concerned enough to not use them?

Less than 0.5% of the population studied is 'sensitive' to asbestos, per the studies of the 1980s. You can make up your own mind about the risk from that fact alone.

A once good friend of mine, and fellow railfan, who worked for the Union Pacific all his life until he retired at 76 years of age, once told me about his job (and his team's work, 40 workers). He rewrapped the boilers of the giant steam locomotives of the UP for most his life. This was pure asbestos, in several forms, hand-wound around the giant engines, underneath their outer skins. It was all done by hand. After he celebrated his team's 20th post-retirement anniversary with about 1/3 of the total team, he died one night in 1987, of heart failure. He was not the oldest member of his team then: he was only 96. He had no other health problems, nor did his team members. Most had died of normal causes, a few from accidents. None had asbestos-related problems, including mesothelioma.

Life is full of televisioned hype... 

yes the goverment and the media takes this #$%* and blows it way out of proportion. my grandfather died of mesothelioma, along with about 20% of his crew that worked in the shipyards here in san francisco. another 40% are dead or dieing from other forms of cancer including my father. most can be directly tied to there work in the yard. they were exposed to all kinds of #$%*, asbestos, lead, mercury, nuclear waste, just about anything the govt. has blacklisted...and we arent talking a few paint chips off the side of the house, sand blasting the hull of navy ships with no more than a tshirt over there face, or crawling through bays of asbestos to rewire a ship and while i do agree that its blown out of proportion. it is very very real. i think you'd be singing a different tune if you had to watch someone die of mesothelioma.... it is a very miserable disease. on that note, my uncle who also worked in the yard for 30+ years, chain smoking the whole time, drinking every night, is perfectly fine at 60. so no it isnt gonna affect everyone, but ill stay the #$%* away from it when i can!

[Gaither]

Domer, very sorry for your loss and for that of others.

Yes, for a fact, regretably there have many been deaths from mesothelioma, including my very good friend. However, there is a VAST difference in working directly in asbestos (or other substances) for many years and the casual exposure the majority of us experience. Some regulations were/are certainly needed and justified - but over-reaction is/was not necessary nor even desirable in most cases.

Such is the case involving many substances. But, we are stuck with Gov and EPA, OSHA, etc. and the like (and the wonderful media). Obviously, many regulations have been productive but far too many are rediculous and terribly expensive.

One of the most tragic examples is banning Halon Fire Extinguishers (Freon). Halon will extinguish any fire (including fuel) IMMEDIATELY! We'll never know how many have been horribly burned or burned to death as a result of DuPont's greed (with the Gov's, Gore's and the media's help). You can even breath Halon with no harm! But, alas, DuPonts patent expired so Freon and any product derived from it had to be banned so DuPont could sell their R-134!

'Sorry, there I go - again.

[domer]

Domer, very sorry for your loss and for that of others.

Yes, for a fact, regretably there have many been deaths from mesothelioma, including my very good friend. However, there is a VAST difference in working directly in asbestos (or other substances) for many years and the casual exposure the majority of us experience. Some regulations were/are certainly needed and justified - but over-reaction is/was not necessary nor even desirable in most cases.

Such is the case involving many substances. But, we are stuck with Gov and EPA, OSHA, etc. and the like (and the wonderful media). Obviously, many regulations have been productive but far too many are rediculous and terribly expensive.

One of the most tragic examples is banning Halon Fire Extinguishers (Freon). Halon will extinguish any fire (including fuel) IMMEDIATELY! We'll never know how many have been horribly burned or burned to death as a result of DuPont's greed (with the Gov's, Gore's and the media's help). You can even breath Halon with no harm! But, alas, DuPonts patent expired so Freon and any product derived from it had to be banned so DuPont could sell their R-134!

'Sorry, there I go - again.

totally agree....