Tip of the Day: Changing Drum Brakes

[jgilbs]

So after I *finally* got my rear drum off(only took like a week and a half) Changing the shoes out was going along pretty smoothly. Smoothly, that is until I hit the retaining springs. You know the ones I'm talkin about. They hold the shoes to the back plate with a spring and that metal washer that twists on over the metal rod to hold the spring in place. Well, the first one took the better part of 45 mins, and many a bleeding finger. So for the second one(there are 4 total in the rear brake system) I wised up. I went to my trust Husky toolbox and grabbed a pair of pliers and 2 zipties. I compressed the spring using the pliers, and around 2 sides of the spring, I held it compressed with zipties, cutting off the excess after I was done. So, I went back to the shoe, stuck the spring on it, and was easily able to twist the washer back into place. Then I just cut the zipties and removed them and BAM I saved myself another 29 minutes of finger destroying fun. Hope this will help someone as those things are a MAJOR PITA.

 

[Charlie's_93EB]

congrats


i have no clue what you said b/c i was going to do mine then i saw your problems so i was going to see how i turned out. i guess just need do it and re-read thanks.

 

[jimbo74]

haha..... good idea.. i jsut muscle everything though.... blood works as temporary lubrication

 

[MilesTeg]

Bummer man. I wish I would have known you were having issues with the springs. There's a special tool you can buy for about 5$ that lets you hook the springs without any trouble at all.. Here's a pic: http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/kd280.html

So after I *finally* got my rear drum off(only took like a week and a half) Changing the shoes out was going along pretty smoothly. Smoothly, that is until I hit the retaining springs. You know the ones I'm talkin about. They hold the shoes to the back plate with a spring and that metal washer that twists on over the metal rod to hold the spring in place. Well, the first one took the better part of 45 mins, and many a bleeding finger. So for the second one(there are 4 total in the rear brake system) I wised up. I went to my trust Husky toolbox and grabbed a pair of pliers and 2 zipties. I compressed the spring using the pliers, and around 2 sides of the spring, I held it compressed with zipties, cutting off the excess after I was done. So, I went back to the shoe, stuck the spring on it, and was easily able to twist the washer back into place. Then I just cut the zipties and removed them and BAM I saved myself another 29 minutes of finger destroying fun. Hope this will help someone as those things are a MAJOR PITA.

 

[jgilbs]

i bought that tool (mine looks kinda like a weird pair of pliers. that tool is on the end of the handle) but i couldnt figure out how to use it.

Charlie - the best tool ive found you can have when working with drum brakes is a needle-nose vice-grips. works much better than the spring removal tool that i dont know how to use.

 

[DMan446]

For putting the round springs back on the needles I always use a small size deep socket with the hand driver(like one for a 1/4" set). Just press it against the washer, and with the other hand I work the needle in the hole in the washer and turn it. As far as the pull springs that are like 3-4" long, I agree a needle nose VG works great.

 

[Glacier991]

KD tools (and others) make a tool just for this job. It looks for all the world like a screwdriver with a socket on the end of it. Makes it a snap, as it will hold the round washer to put it back on. One finger behind the backing plate to hold the pin in place, and push on the retainer, twist, and voila. Here's a link to the snap on version.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/pro_...&group_ID=1676&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

Here's mine, it'a KD-285 and about 25-30 years old.

 

[410Fortune]

the best tool you can have for drum brakes or for anything on the truck really is PATIENCE

I spent the better part of 6 hours on a single small bolt one time, on a friend boat engine, trying to get it ready for the big summer trip. He ran out of patience, his dad ran out of patience his brother the mechanic ran out of patience, and my buddy held the light and they all sat around and drank beers and handed me tools on a saturday night for 6 hours until I finally got it to thread!
Now that took some blood sweat and tears....
the alternative was to remove the entire engine block and grind down part of the motor case to get access to it. We converted an old 1978 Evinrude 250HP V6 outboard from hydro electric shift (failed and would have cost $2000 to replace) to a manual shift (cost $400 for all the parts) and it required the swapping of the intake manifold, well one of the bolts that holds the new shift linkage in place was impossible to get at, almost because of the design of the motor cover, it was one of those almost got it, dropped the bolt again. Almost got it, dropped the bolt again. We tried everything! No special tool would have helped, fingers only.
Finally got it, still in there today, and we boated the rest of the summer vacation away......

 

[jgilbs]

i have loads of patience. like last december i was coming home from school and about 20 miles outside of town i noticed my engine temp was in the red. i was like "oh <insert several of your favorite swears here>" so i pulled off at the first exit i could and luckily there was a gas station about 10 feet from the exit. so i pulled in and shut off my engine. lifted my hood and noticed antifreeze EVERYWHERE. i was freaking out. this is before i started to do mechanical work on my car, and i really didnt know what to do. so i just went inside and got some antifreeze and a bucket and filled it with some water. keep in mind this was the middle of december in iowa, and since it was a long trip home, i usually just wear shorts a tshirt and sandals on the way home for comfort. so im sitting in my truck trying to figure out what to do. i called my rents (who were in the chicago at the time) and they said theyd come and pick me and all my stuff up. so i went out and popped the hood trying to figure out what could ahve possibly gone wrong. as im standing there, a very nice gentleman from the local trailer park came up to me and asked what was wrong. i said i didnt know, and he said hed be right back. so he went back to his trailer and came back with all of his tools. he explained that my tstat had prob just failed and we could just pop it out and id be on my way. well, if anyone knows anything about ford's tstat design, they know the bottom bolt isnt the easiest to get to. so this nice man stayed with me for 6 HOURS trying to get that darn thing off. it was subzero temps and we were both freezing, but he wouldnt give up until i could drive my car. we finished just as my parents were pulling in the parking lot, and i was able to drive my car home (albeit w/o heat). who ever says there arent any good people left in america? funny thing is, the next day when i went to install a new tstat, it took me literally 30 secs to get it off (i just used a flex attachment) its amazing what takes forever the first time is so quick after youve done it once before. i just finished both of my brakes. yesterday i removed my drivers side drum. took me all day yesterday and most of today to get it done. passengers side took about 10 mins.

 

[410Fortune]

hahaha that pesky 3rd bolt Steel bolt in an aluminum intake = EASY to crossthread.

I have found a few different ways to get at it, grind down the 1/4" socket a little till it fits, or the easiest way is to use a open ended wrench and go from behind the alternator....takes a few minutes but works like a champ

 

[jimbo74]

there are also some "dikes" that snap-on sells that are very high quality and have an angle to them that work really well.... regular diagonal cutters work well too.....

 

[glfredrick]

There are lots of very simple brake tools out there for only a couple bucks a piece. None of them are those goofy pliers-looking things... Get the one shown in the picture - it will both install and remove the springs in a heartbeat with no blood or fuss. One end is to take them off, the other to re-install.

Also the KD tool for the retaining clips is great. Mine has two ends - small and large - and fits a wide variety of brake systems.

One other tool - for those hard to deal with applications is a KD tool that looks almost like a screwdriver, but on the end it has a slotted part. You can slip a spring wire into the slot and then tighten the handle to set a screw against the spring wire. Then you have a no-slip handle to install almost anything.