Hello all, just doing a trial fit of a semi-girling conversion from hydraulic. The shoes appear to have had the original spring mounting points removed so they pull straighter, so they're not entirely standard. My issue is that the springs I have seem to be very tight. I'm not sure if I have the wrong springs or if it's the modified shoes - picture below hopefully. I know brake shoe springs can be tight, but this is more than I've experienced before. I'm fairly cautious with springs so it might be a case of just needed to put a bit more effort in, but just want to make sure I'm doing the right thing! attachment=10940]
looks like a case of Summer shoes and an abused carpenter's horse to me ! Oh, springs, They do look a bit meaty and when at full stretch, difficult to get into their holes.
Rupert,
Get your medium size screwdriver and stick the blade end through the hole in the shoe, and at the same time slot the free spring end over the shaft of the screwdriver. Lever the screwdriver, using the blade end as the fulcrum until the end of the spring slips into the hole in the shoe. The springs are very strong (I know because I had one go right through my thumb nail once and go right through the end of my thumb )You may need pliers to align spring end with brake shoe hole. Wear goggles also!
Cheers,
Dave.
These are the correct springs.
I get hold of the loop with mole grips and use a tyre lever against the stub axle and the moles to then guide the spring to where needed.
Hope that helps you.
And while I'm on the topic of brakes, is it correct that the brake rod is only attached to the brake pedal by a pin which is held in with a washer and split pin? Seems a bit minimal for a fairly critical connection!
I've done it the screwdriver way, the mole grips way and various other ways as well but the T handle spring puller (recommended to me by Ruairidh) is by far the easiest and quickest with a very reduced risk of everything flying apart. Not expensive and thoroughly recommended.
And yes, that's how the brake rod connects to the pedal.
