Below are a few pics of the old shoes I pulled off and the new shoes I will be putting on. I'm having problems putting the new adjuster lever assembly together, how the hell do I stretch that spring?

Also I ordered the parts from autozone, I only recieved one adjuster kit for the driver side, is there a seperate kit for the passenger side? Something doesnt look right with what they gave me. Check out the pics, help is appreciated!

Thanks

-R.J.

 

Nevermind!

 

RJ. Could be an optical illusion that I see, but make sure the inboard shoe is the short one. To me they look the same, but I don't have the best eyes!

 

I wasnt paying attention to detail! Thanks for letting me know, It should look right now...

Thanks!

-RJ

 

A bit of greease [sic] on the adjuster screws and contact points would be in order.

Make sure you get your LH-thread adjuster on the RH side and vice versa.

 

Inboard?

I hope you mean leading.

 

OK guys, hopefully I have them right now. Check them out and tell me what you think! Before/After pics are shown

$15.99 Duralast brake shoes- Front
$11.99 (x2) Self adjusters
$8.99 Brake drum all in one kit
$6.99 Rustoleum Primer
$7.99 VHT caliper/drum paint

Total: $51.95 plus a little time gets you new brakes! Minus a few beers to have a guy turn your brake drums for ya!

 

extra ventilating holes in the one brake drum?

Yeah, brakes is one area you can save a LOT of money with.

As for how do you install them beasty springs?
You must get one of these

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Snap-On-Brak...8f040a&vxp=mtr

Accept NO cheap chinese imitations.

 

Wow. Fancy. You even painted them. I'm impressed.

- Eric

 

All well and good, but I have a personal preference for these (whether Snap-On, KD, SK, Mac, or any other American brand):



Quick and easy - springs just roll on and off.

- Eric

 

Thanks guys!

I was just outside for 30 min attempting to get the shoe retaining springs on (not sure if thats the proper term for what they are) But its kickin my butt at the moment, may have to run back to autozone and pick something up! Its too cold here in MI today to be sitting outside fooling with these things.

I thought it would take me 20min tops per install.

What are the names of these tools?

Thanks!
- RJ

 

I assume you mean the little stamped metal dish that squeezes the light spring and catches on the end of the nail-like pin?

These are what you need, and they don't experience a lot of force, so they don't have to be fancy:

DSC_1143.jpg



- Eric

 

Eric,
Yes what you described is what I was talking about. I just picked up a set of those pliers and the spring washer tool, Can anyone explain to me the proper way to use them?

Thanks

RJ

 

Well, the tool above you just hold the nail-like pin with your fingertip from the back side of the backing plate, and push the tool in toward the plate, then rotate 90°.

With those plier-y things, you will notice that the handles are each a tool.

In the picture, the upper handle end looks a bit like a snake's head with fangs. You can lodge those fangs on the edge of the pin you want the spring to go over, have the spring hook further along the handle shaft, then lift up, stretching the spring, and allowing it to slide along the handle and onto the pin.

The lower handle with the round end (which is shaped like the round, black end of this picture:) is usually used to remove springs, but can sometimes be used to put them on, as well. You put the hollow round end over the pin, hook the spring onto the little protruding grooved lip, and rotate the tool to carry the spring hook onto the pin.

Once you see how things fit together, it's pretty straightforward.

- Eric

 

Thanks for the Help everyone. I think I re-assembled everything properly.

Only took me forever to figure out! I really appreciate the help! Please check out the pics and let me know if I can throw the drum back on and begin work on the other side!

 

Since you haven't started on the other side, you can do a “stare and compare” with the side you just did,


I can't see the spring that goes over the adjuster but it must be installed so it does not touch the adjuster wheel. It can be installed wrong.

 

I know it's cold, but you may want to due a repack on the wheel bearings, they look a little dry! Not knowing your skill level but you want to adjust your shoes out to the point hint of drag on the drum and button every thing up and torque wheels to 80 ft. lbs.

When you do your first back up be careful brakes might have to readjust themselves, they usually will do that on the first fast reverse, just make sure nobody or thing is in the way!

Pat

 

I'm with Eric on this. I have a set of KD brake tools that I bought back in the mid-1970s and I'm still using. Never actually owned one of the plier-style spring tools that Chris showed. I will say that installing the retainer over the spring while holding the pin from behind and keeping all the self-adjuster and e-brake parts in place requires about five hands.

Couple of other hints. First, check the backing plate where the edges of the brake shoes ride. These get worn and can form a groove that will prevent the shoe from sliding properly. I've occasionally had to grind these areas flat. Second, put a small dab of wheel bearing grease on each of these spots on the backing plate. There are six per side, three under each shoe.

 

Thanks for all the help guys. I ended up buying the pliers from Autozone because thats what they had in stock and I really wanted to finish the job up today, its getting nothing but colder here in MI and I was running out of time.

NOW I JUST NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE 73 BUCKET SEATS! The guy I bought the car from had them in there.

 

Yeah its a bit chilly here in the West Lansing/Grand ledge area. I started this project last week when we had some of that warmer weather but ran into some problems that led me to attempting to finish this weekend.

I did buy some bearing from autozone but I'm losing day light and its getting even colder out there. I wont be driving it anywhere so I'll keep that in mind when warmer weather hits. I wish I had a pole barn to work out of with a nice wood burning stove! But I'm in an apartment, been working on it under my car port. Its covered up for the winter as of now since I finished up the front brakes. I'll handle the rears and continue on the rest of my plans in the spring! Lets hope we have a short winter here in MI this year!

 

Hey, RJ, sorry to throw this in late, but I was outside doing the rear brakes on my Jeep...

I can't tell from the picture, could just be a shadow, but is the plate that sits behind the main springs fully seated on its base, or is it just a bit off, and resting on the shoulder?



In my experience with the plier-type, when you use those tools in the ends of the handles, the opposite handle tends to fly around and can whack you (picture using the round tool to roll a spring off its pin - the pliers open up to 90°, and the opposite end comes at you pretty fast). They work, but I think the one I posted does a neater job.


- Eric

 

I'll have to check that, Thanks for pointing that out! Should be an easy fix but I'll have to get out there on a warmer day and check. I'll leave a post it note on top of my tool bag so I dont forget! I wont be driving it any time soon unless I end up having to move it into a storage trailer, in which case it'll go on a trailer.

Aprreciate all the help Eric!

RJ

 

Any time!

Only thing I like more than being a wisea$$ is helping people.

- Eric

 

Haha I've got pretty thick skin so I can take a little sarcasim and jokes, so next time I ask a question feel free to rag on me a bit if you need to before giving me some sound advice!

Thanks Again!

- RJ