Hot Rods Installing brake shoe springs (nightmare)

I am converting a '36 over to '46-'48 hydraulics. So far everything has been going slick except when it came to getting the spring that pulls the two shoes together. Everything came off easy but re***embling is a nightmare. I can't get the spring to stretch enough to connect the hole. I tried a spring tool but it bent by the spring's tension. I am open to some new thinking.

Thanks

Tom

 

disconnect the shoe retainers, pull the linings off the cylinder towards you and hopefully you have enough free movement to allow the upper ends of the shoes to meet, (you'll probably have to take the lower plate off) connect the upper spring, next bit is a struggle to get one side shoe seated then pull other side over and seat it. It does work but I don't know how much free movement youll have .

 

after looking at the shoe retainers I will never complain about the pin and spring types again ...

as on the spring and pin types we can basically fold the shoes together set the springs place them on the bearing spots and snap them to the backing plate then pin them in .

do not know if you would have enough clearance on the sides to get them over the center retainers to do it that way or undo one shoe at the bottom swing it up to get the spring on and then work it around over the retainer and then to the base pivot . I am suprised you bent the spring tool . never seen one bend .

 

Hook one end into it's spot on the brake shoe , then make up a loop of fence wire about 8" long, and put it the free end of the spring through it. Stick a big hefty screwdriver through the other end of the loop, and by using the screwdriver as a lever (With the blade against the backing plate or even the edge of the shoe), you will be able to guide the end of the spring loop to the hole. Wear a face sheild or safety gl***es in case you havent made the loop strong enough and it lets go.

 

Install the spring from the front with a quality brake spring plier.

 

Put lots of those springs on; either clamp the backing plate down or better yet wait until it's on the car, then grab the spring with a vise grip, it's easily stretched and hooked then. The e-brake hardware make the rears a little harder.

 

Those look like bonded shoes; the pointy end of the brake pliers doesn't catch them the way it hooks in the counterbore in riveted shoes. Usually just slips and gouges the lining; at least in my experience.

 

Rich b nailed it. Having the backing plate secure is the answer.

 

This is the tool I use for that type of return spring.

 

Installing springs is never easy. I like the wire in the end of the spring approach from 36roadster in post #4. Your springs look right but are sure they are?

Charlie Stephens

 

Flip the spring where the wire loop faces in. HRP

 

And take a little of the "hook"'out of it.

 

Buy a better tool? I have never bent a brake tool with the exception of one that a friend had bought from Auto Shack ( pre auto zone) back in the '80s.

 

Install on the car and use vise grips.
Done this countless of times on both my drivers and never even thought about it.

 

Thanks guys for the suggestion. It took some muscle work via a vise grip but all is now golden!

Tom

 

WHen I did mine I remember it was a pain in the ***. But had backing plate mounted,used vise grips and put a lot of *** behind it to get it to go. eat you wheaties.

 

I never had no fancy brake tools. Vise Grips, big *** screwdriver, lots of muscle power. Have done many brakes over the years that way.

 

I'd expect a better spring tool should do it. Good vise grips, gloves, eye protection and body armor often are enough. I try not to put cross-wise scratches on the spring wire, so clamp the VG on at 90 degrees.

Sometimes I grip a spring by the hook in a vise. Then bend the spring over to open the coils on one side, and insert coins or washers to keep the coils apart. Bend the spring the other way and put some more washers in. There needs to be plenty of clearance around the spring, so it is mostly useful for stuff like hood springs.

 

When i was a poor teenager i used vise grips.
Got a job, got fancy brake tools, still use vise grips.

Glad you got it taken care of, they can be a *****

 

They sell those new fangled brake pliers! They have been around for years!!!!

 

Me neither. But when I did a complete (as in total) brake restoration I splurged and spent the 4 bucks on a pair of brake spring pliers. A worn screwdriver with a notch in the center works fine for installing springs but wanted to see how it was supposed to be done. They work real well.

For some reason it's real satisfying for me to hear those springs popping and ringing as they get installed. (Also nice to have the damn thing stop when I need it to.)

 

I work on brakes just about every day.....I like my fancy brake tools.

 

Nothing wrong with that! Just telling how a poor boy does things sometimes, the hard way!

 

I had a guy come in the parts house one day buying brake parts and asked about spring pliers. When I showed him a pair for about $20, he told there was no way he would ever spend that for a tool he would only use a few times. The next day he comes back with a black eye and a bandage on his mouth. Several s***ches and a broken tooth, too. I had to ask and he admitted that the vise grips slipped and he busted himself in the face. He traded his core shoes back for a pair of spring pliers.