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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / General Car Topics / December 2007Removing drum brake springs
I have a 1990 Ford F150 pickup. That self adjuster cable is broke on the left side. I got the part and was going to change it today. I just found out that I cant get one of the upper springs off. I've worked on chevy rear brakes and they allow enough of a straight section of the spring to get a vice grip on it, and pull it off. This ford spring, the thicker one, has no end to it to grab with a vice grips. In other words, the hook is almost at the end of the coil part of the spring. Yea, i know they make special tools for this, but I dont have one and being rural, I dont care to drive to the nearest larger city, which is 30 miles away, especially since we have icy roads at the moment. Is there some way to get this spring off without a tool? I could probably put the vice grip on the spring and bend the hook, but that would likely ruin the spring. Anyone have any other ideas or suggestions? I think the smaller spring can be removed with the vicegrip because it has a longer end to grab. But of course the hook from the heavy one is on top of the thinner one. I am trying to remove them from the "anchor pin", if I am not being clear. Thanks WB > I have a 1990 Ford F150 pickup. That self adjuster cable is broke on > the left side. I got the part and was going to change it today. I [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > WB Force a flat blade screwdriver tip in between the the coils near the end, keep the screwdriver perpendicular to the backing plate and then pull the screwdriver towards the anchor pin until the spring comes loose. or, grab it with a side cutters. or, call someone who does have the right tool. or, take off the lower spring, remove the adjuster, remove the hold downs and flop the shoe outward until the spring is off. >I have a 1990 Ford F150 pickup. That self adjuster cable is broke on > the left side. I got the part and was going to change it today. I [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > probably put the vice grip on the spring and bend the hook, but that > would likely ruin the spring. If you have the needle nosed vice grip pliers, then you may be able to grip it by the coils rather than the end. If you grab the spring hook with a pair of wire cutters you probably won't damage the spring any worse than using vice grips. Bill >I have a 1990 Ford F150 pickup. That self adjuster cable is broke on > the left side. I got the part and was going to change it today. I [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > WB This is the kind of stuff (and the vise grips do it too) that can introduce "stress risers" in to the spring. How long before the spring fails? I have no idea.... Will it be life threatening? Probably not... but there is always the possibility of a life altering experience (and it wont be like winning the lottery). Using the right tool for the job will minimize "exposure to failure".... But then... I'm an overpriced dealer tech that believes that we should do things logically and safely..... On a truck this old, I would likely recommend replacing all of the brake hardware (springs, hold downs, etc.). You only get one chance to stop... if that doesn't work, you don't get a "do over". Was this top posted or bottom posted? > This is the kind of stuff (and the vise grips do it too) that can introduce "stress risers" in to the spring. How long before the > spring fails? I have no idea.... Will it be life threatening? Probably not... but there is always the possibility of a life > altering experience (and it wont be like winning the lottery). If the spring breaks, the brake linings will just drag on the drum surface & increase wear on both drum & shoes. You will hear a constant metallic dragging sound. Not to mention the spring will tear the sh.t out of the drum! RK >> This is the kind of stuff (and the vise grips do it too) that can >> introduce "stress risers" in to the spring. How long before the spring [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > wear on both drum & shoes. You will hear a constant metallic dragging > sound. How bout this.....? put it back together till you get the right tools. >I have a 1990 Ford F150 pickup. That self adjuster cable is broke on > the left side. I got the part and was going to change it today. I [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > WB
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