Mk5 1951

[Rex]

My recently-acquired Mk5 goes well but has a disconcerting front brake judder. I've been over the forks, linkages and the brake itself  but nothing seems unduly loose/worn/OOA, so before I spend money on a brake drum skim and a shoe relining exercise, and there any particular or known  issues to check first? The wheels have been rebuilt recently so this may have caused the problem or it may have been present for years, but it's unpleasant to experience.
Any recommendations for a drum skim in the South of England?
Thanks!

[eddie]

It may be just unequal tensioning of the spokes - get a reputable wheel builder to check it out before having the drum skimmed. If you do have the drum skimmed, you may then have to have thicker linings fitted to the shoes (or standard linings shimmed up) to get an effective brake.

  Eddie.

[Rex]

The wheel builder I trust implicitly....because I rebuilt them.
New linings won't be a problem either, but I was just checking that there wasn't some recognised esoteric cause specific to post-war Duggies and their somewhat unusual front forks.
Thanks Eddie.

[eddie]

It might pay to re-fit the wheel minus brakeplate, then clamp a clock gauge to the leading link to get a good idea how far out of true the drum actually is.
  I suggested it might be spoke tension that is the problem because if you have 2 adjacent crossing spokes (one leading and one trailing) on the brake drum a little on the tight side, then the combined load may be pulling the drum out of round without  greatly affecting the truth of the rim because those spokes will be about 100 degrees apart on the rim (just a thought!)

  Eddie.