Best Brake Tools What Should I get??

When I have worked on drumb brakes before mostly 60's Chevy stuff, never old Ford...I've always used a cheap set of those brake plyers, one of my brothers probably has my dad's old set. I was wondering what you guys use as far as tools for Bendix style brakes...I have 1947 Lincoln Brakes now and am looking to get the right tools for the job. Snap On has a nice set of brake pliers, but damn they're expensive $69.95. Any special wrenches or other tools needed to rebuild a set of bendix brakes? How about a break-down of the tools needed, no pun intended. Matt

 

All that i've ever needed is just one of the star wheel adjuster tools when working on my brakes. Hell, I dont even have a pair of brake pliers. A small diameter screwdriver with a long shaft is nice for pushing the star-wheel adjuster plate back. The rest I usually just do with pair of vice-grips. Hope this is some help, but I never found a need to have any special tools on my Fords.

 

Dad didn't have much in the way of brake parts... those plyers he had were a pain, I think John has 'em.

Anyway, Lisle sells a tool that is all you really need... it is a tool to take the springs off and to put the springs on... they sell one for the tension springs and one for the springs that hold the shoes on... get them both, about $10 ea.



Oh yea, screw Snap-On... yea they sell SOME good ****, but the rest is overpriced.

Sam.

 

Get to bed, it's late there, where do I get Lisle stuff? Yea, they did ****....send me something like which ones to get or just call me like I said before.

 

KD also sells a good and cheap spring tool that removes and replaces them both. It is L-shaped and has a roundish thing on one end for removing the spring from its hole. I have nice brake pliers, but have always preferred the KD thing.
You'll also need a big socket capable of loosening the anchor pin up top for what Lincoln "major adjustment" with new shoes. The pin is shifted to get .010 (I think) clearance shoe to drum at the top, measured by feeler through a slot in the drum. (This applies to Lincoln and F-1, not early Ford locheed)

 

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Get to bed, it's late there, where do I get Lisle stuff? Yea, they did ****....send me something like which ones to get or just call me like I said before.

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Sears has aspecialty tool section which usually includes a lot of the Lisle stuff...

 

Whatever you do, don't buy a cheap flaring tool.

 

Ive been in the brake business for about 9 years and I have to agree with everyone, but definately about the flaring tool. The rest can be done with a pair of dikes a small diameter screwdriver and a hold down spring tool, II own a brake s**** (adjusting tool)it's not a must have but it does make life a liitle easier

 

Who makes a good affordable flaring tool?

I have the double flare tool from Speedway and it takes 5 minutes per flare, gets stuck and I have to crank the hell out of it.

 

for good tubing working tools,
check out imperial eastman company.

 

So what do you look for in a brake flaring tool?

 

the one i have is hand held(as in you close the jaws on the tubing with a plier type action),and the cone shaped flaring die swivels around into place.
it is all one unit,so you can't easily lose any parts.
i will check the manufacturer of it tomorrow if you like.
this one was my dads,and he p***ed away in '73.
i think i remember seeing him use it for a few years.

i am pretty sure the type is still made,check out some of your plumbing supply houses as well,
and they should have an imperial eastman catalog you can peruse and possibly keep.
i think grainger.com carries their product line as well.

to answer your question,look for a durable,well built one,
and you will never need to buy another!

 

Thanks everyone.

 

Yea, I'll need a flaring tool too...But I'm not that far along yet, just trying to get the brakes apart and cleaned up to mount to the rear end.

 

The NAPA double flare tool kit works great.

Too easy on aluminum lines.

But, make sure you chamfer the outside of the line on the first part of the flare for the small brake lines, and oil it well, and a vise to hole the line holder is MANDATORY for double flares. Heat also helps it.

Some say to Anneal the line, but I still am confused about how to do that properly.

For stainless, you need a 37degree flare kit when using AN fitting and only single flare, but thats high tech stuff, beyond my means.

I use the bender that has the little bar to hold it from Autozone.....only decent thing Ive ever gotten from Autozone that I can think of.