Technical Fitting rear brake shoes - spring compression help

[james2609]

Hi all,
Does anyone know a good way to compress this spring on the left shoe so it will fit on here? Right shoe is a piece of cake!

Trying to fit new shoes and I've spent the last hour trying to do this one thing!

Thanks

 

[purple haze]

Long nose pliers and a gym subscription...

 

[james2609]

Long nose pliers and a gym subscription...

I've got the pliers but simply couldn't squeeze hard enough. I tried levering with a long screwdriver and still couldn't do it. Will try again tomorrow once my palms stop aching.

 

[purple haze]

Mole grips??

 

[Bougainvillea Rosso]

You should be able to get both shoes on the locators without compressing that spring. The trick is to get them both on using the grooves in the hub with the bottom return spring still attached. Then fit the small spring on the top and lever the bottom of the shoes behind the plate with a big screwdriver.

 

[purple haze]

You should be able to get both shoes on the locators without compressing that spring. The trick is to get them both on using the grooves in the hub with the bottom return spring still attached. Then fit the small spring on the top and lever the bottom of the shoes behind the plate with a big screwdriver.

That's what I meant....I must have misunderstood your question.

 

[james2609]

You should be able to get both shoes on the locators without compressing that spring. The trick is to get them both on using the grooves in the hub with the bottom return spring still attached. Then fit the small spring on the top and lever the bottom of the shoes behind the plate with a big screwdriver.

I thought that too, but it seems that spring needs to be compressed to fit through the milled section of the hub. I've double checked and they are the right shoes

It doesn't need to be compressed much but it's a bloody hard spring and a very tight space to work with.

I'll be giving the mole grips a try tomorrow, but don't think they'll fit in between the shoe and back plate.

 

[VmanC]

I'm only looking on my phone but the pin in your picture looks wider than usual, it hasn't got part of the old shoe left on it has it?

 

[james2609]

I'm only looking on my phone but the pin in your picture looks wider than usual, it hasn't got part of the old shoe left on it has it?

Looking closely at that picture, I can see there is a lip, I think you may be right as the old shoe spring and washers broke up on removal.

I'm going to feel a complete ar*e tonight when they go in without a fight

 

[Bougainvillea Rosso]

I'm only looking on my phone but the pin in your picture looks wider than usual, it hasn't got part of the old shoe left on it has it?

Good spot!

 

[james2609]

Hi all, a quick update.

When the shoes came off the inner sleeve was left attached to the back plate. Thanks Vernon for pointing that out. It was really rusted in, harder to remove than the shoe springs! Once done, shoes changed and handbrake adjusted had to paint the drums with black Hammerite too, just looks great through the wheels hehe!

Next on the list... Front ball joints.