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From: Tim Downie on 8 Apr 2010 08:41 Okay, I know I'm not a DIY god but how do other folk deal with those diabolical "springfuckits" AKA "brake shoe retaining springs"? I remember when I was young (40 years or so ago) and finding them a right PITA but thought that in the intervening years, someone would have come along with a better design, but no. I was looking at the rear drum brakes in my daughter's Corsa to find out why the handbrake was so ineffectual and one of the springs flew off as I removed the drum (due to me not being able to make sense of the instructions on easing the shoes off of the adjuster to allow them to retract fully). The next hour was spent faffing around trying to get the wretched thing back on with various tools at my disposal and I was not a happy bunny. (Needless to say, it started drizzling whilst I was doing this). Eventually I hit upon the idea of a mini-spring compressor using a couple of cable ties but these were too thick to allow sufficient compression and clearance to get the dished washer back on. I then tried precomressing it with cable ties (well, a vice and cable ties) and then using lots of loops of strong darning thread to "sew" the spring in a compressed state and then cutting off the cable ties. With only the thickness of the thread lengthening the spring, I at last got it fitted. Halelujah! If only they put a hex head or something on the back end of the retaining pin then you could just force the spring and washer down and rotate the pin but no, that would be too easy. How do other folk deal with these little b*stards? Tim
From: shazzbat on 8 Apr 2010 09:18 "Tim Downie" <timdownie2003(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:hpkiu3$urf$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... > Okay, I know I'm not a DIY god but how do other folk deal with those > diabolical "springfuckits" AKA "brake shoe retaining springs"? > > I remember when I was young (40 years or so ago) and finding them a right > PITA but thought that in the intervening years, someone would have come > along with a better design, but no. I was looking at the rear drum brakes > in my daughter's Corsa to find out why the handbrake was so ineffectual > and one of the springs flew off as I removed the drum (due to me not being > able to make sense of the instructions on easing the shoes off of the > adjuster to allow them to retract fully). > > The next hour was spent faffing around trying to get the wretched thing > back on with various tools at my disposal and I was not a happy bunny. > (Needless to say, it started drizzling whilst I was doing this). > > Eventually I hit upon the idea of a mini-spring compressor using a couple > of cable ties but these were too thick to allow sufficient compression and > clearance to get the dished washer back on. I then tried precomressing it > with cable ties (well, a vice and cable ties) and then using lots of loops > of strong darning thread to "sew" the spring in a compressed state and > then cutting off the cable ties. With only the thickness of the thread > lengthening the spring, I at last got it fitted. Halelujah! > > If only they put a hex head or something on the back end of the retaining > pin then you could just force the spring and washer down and rotate the > pin but no, that would be too easy. > > How do other folk deal with these little b*stards? > Grip the dished washer in a pair of pliers, right at the business end of the jaws. Push it over the pin. Then, with a finger on the head of the pin, grip the washer as hard as you can, push and twist. And be grateful it's a corsa and not a truck. There is a tool available, but I never could be arsed to buy one. Steve Steve
From: Adrian on 8 Apr 2010 09:41 "Tim Downie" <timdownie2003(a)yahoo.co.uk> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: > I remember when I was young (40 years or so ago) and finding them a > right PITA but thought that in the intervening years, someone would have > come along with a better design They have. It's called a rear disk.
From: Harry Bloomfield on 8 Apr 2010 11:08 Tim Downie was thinking very hard : > How do other folk deal with these little b*stards? When I last had any drums (a very long time ago), I... Simply set up the dished washer in a pair of pliers, right at the very tip, in my right hand and pushed the back face of the pin in with my left hand around the back of the brake plate. The pliers enable you to easily push the washer to compress the spring. When you first mentioned struggling with springs, I straight away thought you must have meant the pair of springs pulling the two shoes together. You get those on by hooking the two springs onto the shoes first, then offer the shoes onto the back plate each at 45 degrees, then push them back fully into place against the springs. -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
From: Mrcheerful on 8 Apr 2010 12:11
Tim Downie wrote: > Okay, I know I'm not a DIY god but how do other folk deal with those > diabolical "springfuckits" AKA "brake shoe retaining springs"? > > I remember when I was young (40 years or so ago) and finding them a > right PITA but thought that in the intervening years, someone would > have come along with a better design, but no. I was looking at the > rear drum brakes in my daughter's Corsa to find out why the handbrake > was so ineffectual and one of the springs flew off as I removed the > drum (due to me not being able to make sense of the instructions on > easing the shoes off of the adjuster to allow them to retract fully). > > The next hour was spent faffing around trying to get the wretched > thing back on with various tools at my disposal and I was not a happy > bunny. (Needless to say, it started drizzling whilst I was doing > this). > Eventually I hit upon the idea of a mini-spring compressor using a > couple of cable ties but these were too thick to allow sufficient > compression and clearance to get the dished washer back on. I then > tried precomressing it with cable ties (well, a vice and cable ties) > and then using lots of loops of strong darning thread to "sew" the > spring in a compressed state and then cutting off the cable ties. With > only the thickness of the thread lengthening the spring, I at > last got it fitted. Halelujah! > If only they put a hex head or something on the back end of the > retaining pin then you could just force the spring and washer down > and rotate the pin but no, that would be too easy. > > How do other folk deal with these little b*stards? > > Tim use your brake shoe spring tool. or a pair of pliers, or slide the shoes out so that they are beyond their sliding surface and there is more pin sticking through. your ones are easy, the hard ones are the type used on later fords where the spring is a U shaped clip that slides in from the side |