Drum brakes service what a pain

Pras

Pras

A2OC Donor
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What a nightmare , took me about 5 hours to do both sides. Everything that could go wrong did!
Next time I'll pay someone to do it but glad it's done.
This solved my unbalanced handbrake problem.
 
They are a challenge sometimes, lower picture , the second thinner spring on the top shouldn't be bent like that on the right
 
looking at the spring I think it may be fitted the wrong way around. look at the original and the coils on the spring appears to start as soon as the metal of the shoe finishes, on the new spring the coils start much further down the spring, I suspect if it were fitted the other way around it would lay flat against the bridging bar
 
Tried the other way... Fits even worse. This way it looks like a banana but is at least secure ( I understand it might not look like it in the pic)
 
Pras said:
Tried the other way... Fits even worse. This way it looks like a banana but is at least secure ( I understand it might not look like it in the pic)
Click to expand...
must be a crap spring then because that does not look right, what about reusing the old spring, a little rust on this spring will not affect its working, I coat them in copper grease to keep the rust at bay
 
Are the springs ‘handed’? It looks like the left hand hook should come from the bottom of the spring rather than the top so the hook would have to go away from the spring (the opposite way to what it appears to do) to keep it flat.

If it’s in and fixed well an additional tension at an angle at one end shouldn’t matter too much I think unless it impairs movement or creates the wrong amount of tension in the correct plane. May wear more quickly though I guess.


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I had no idea this forum has so many spring experts XD.
The hooks on the original spring have a 90drgree offset. The hooks on the new spring are parallel hence the banana bend.
Banana spring stays!
 
I recently contemplated undertaking what you’ve just done and might perhaps hold off for now...


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I think if you have the correct tools it would be ok. Also having done one side the other was easier.
I removed and reattached springs with pliers. Lots of swearing, springs pinging everywhere and me having 20+ battle scars and lost about 1 liter of blood!
 
Back when I used to do the drum brakes on my first few cars (Vauxhall Chevettes, but that's another story) I used to use a length of string to hook/unhook the horizontal springs. You threaded the string under the spring, wound the ends round your fingers and pulled it. You still needed to prod the end of the spring into the hole with your other hand but at least you had more control than gripping it with pliers.
 
The best way i have found is to use a thin screwdriver, in the loop of the spring the the end in the hole you need it go in pull to stretch the spring and it will slide down the screwdriver blade a little twist of the screwdriver and the jobs done. hope that gives you an idea of how i do it.
 
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