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eth727
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2007
Posts: 542
Location: san diego
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 Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 5:26 pm Post subject: How to install brake return springs? |
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| Is there some sort of special tool to install the return springs on '55 brake shoes? I bought brand new rear brake shoes and springs from wolfsburgwest and am having a hell of a time getting them on. I read the muir manual,bentley and watched the bug me videos and none of them mentioned any special tools to install the springs. |
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Schwing
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Joined: May 10, 2009
Posts: 2508
Location: Centreville, MD
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RareAir
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Joined: May 11, 2002
Posts: 14577
Location: 18 miles North of the border
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RareAir
Samba Member
Joined: May 11, 2002
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Location: 18 miles North of the border
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eth727
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2007
Posts: 542
Location: san diego
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| Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 7:35 pm Post subject: |
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| how does that work? it looks something i used for an abortion once. |
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79SuperVert
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Joined: May 31, 2002
Posts: 9758
Location: Elizabeth, NJ & La Isla Del Encanto
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| Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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Unless oval brakes are completely different from big-window brakes, I hope this helps: I found a special tool was not needed. It was easier to hook up the springs to the shoes first off the car, then hook one end of the shoes into one cylinder, then the other end of the shoes onto the other cylinder, then put in the retaining pins and coil springs through the centers of the shoes.
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RareAir
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Joined: May 11, 2002
Posts: 14577
Location: 18 miles North of the border
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| Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 10:47 pm Post subject: |
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| eth727 wrote: |
| how does that work? it looks something i used for an abortion once. |
You have a Ph.D in Gynecology? I'm going to have to charge you more for parts & services since you can afford it.
You attach one end of the spring onto the brake shoe. Then attach the hooked end of the tool to the other end of the spring. Insert your finger into the looped end of the tool. Now you can easily stretch the spring to the other brake shoe. Once you have the spring end attached to the shoe, you can slip the tool off the spring.
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1947 Typ 11a
1954 Typ 117
1956 Typ 151
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Russ
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Joined: January 12, 2003
Posts: 1560
Location: Langley B.C.
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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i have always used needle nose pliers and i have definitly let a few fly away  but it gets the job done
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61SNRF
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Joined: March 29, 2009
Posts: 4656
Location: Whittier 90602
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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| 79SuperVert wrote: |
| Unless oval brakes are completely different from big-window brakes, I hope this helps: I found a special tool was not needed. It was easier to hook up the springs to the shoes first off the car, then hook one end of the shoes into one cylinder, then the other end of the shoes onto the other cylinder, then put in the retaining pins and coil springs through the centers of the shoes. |
This is the same method I have used 100's of times.
It makes the rears super easy too. This way you can assemble the two shoes, the e-brake lever, stay bar and spring as a unit before placing it onto the backing plate.
With the pliers, they always leave a divot in the brake linings
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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. |
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eth727
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2007
Posts: 542
Location: san diego
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 5:30 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't know wtf but it seems the shoes that i bought from wolfsburgwest which are supposed to be 53-57 have the top holes different than the shoes that I removed-they don't even have holes on the top. i've allready ruined a couple of the springs from stretching them. let me get this straight the springs that are longer with the ends pointing together go on the top and the shorter ones with ends point away go on the bottom. |
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61SNRF
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Joined: March 29, 2009
Posts: 4656
Location: Whittier 90602
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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Maybe this pic of 57 rear brakes by Snort from the Gallery will help...
I can't tell you if you have the correct springs/shoes or not, I have not seen what they are selling for your car. I know I don't like WW's spring kits for '58-up. They are too generic and not like the originals at all. I'm sure if you call or e-mail them they will be happy to assist you.
But I can say that the stronger/larger of the springs always goes on the W/C side.
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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. |
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RareAir
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Joined: May 11, 2002
Posts: 14577
Location: 18 miles North of the border
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| Posted: Wed May 02, 2012 10:21 pm Post subject: |
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| 61SNRF wrote: |
Maybe this pic of 57 rear brakes by Snort from the Gallery will help...
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That photo is NOT representative of 1953-57 rear brakes. That photo is of a 1958-64 rear brake set up.
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1947 Typ 11a
1954 Typ 117
1956 Typ 151
1959 Typ 117
1959 Typ 265
1961 356B
1966 Typ 151
1966 Typ 241 |
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RareAir
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Joined: May 11, 2002
Posts: 14577
Location: 18 miles North of the border
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xeno
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Joined: July 26, 2006
Posts: 653
Location: Mile High
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| Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 6:56 am Post subject: |
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I've always used vice grips...
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61SNRF
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Joined: March 29, 2009
Posts: 4656
Location: Whittier 90602
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| Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 7:20 am Post subject: |
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[quote="RareAir"]
| 61SNRF wrote: |
Maybe this pic of 57 rear brakes by Snort from the Gallery will help...
That photo is NOT representative of 1953-57 rear brakes. That photo is of a 1958-64 rear brake set up. |
Please excuse me for using the description entered by the submitter as fact
The shoes sure don't look like '58-'64 to me.
eth727, what do your brake parts look like?
Any of the above samples?
In either case, you still don't need any pliers if you hook up the springs to the shoes before you put them on the backing plate.
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-Bruce
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. |
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Snort
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Joined: April 02, 2005
Posts: 1964
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 11:37 am Post subject: |
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| RareAir wrote: |
That photo is NOT representative of 1953-57 rear brakes. That photo is of a 1958-64 rear brake set up. |
Thanks for catching that error. I've corrected the photo label in the gallery.  |
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eth727
Samba Member
Joined: February 21, 2007
Posts: 542
Location: san diego
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| Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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| Hey does it matter if the stars are on the top or bottom? I forgot how mine went and installed them with the stars on top. |
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Snort
Samba Member
Joined: April 02, 2005
Posts: 1964
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Thu May 03, 2012 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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| No, it doesn't matter. Ovals had the adjusters on the top, 58 and up on the bottom, essentially the same design but flipped. Either way seems to work fine. |
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Blue Baron
VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006
Posts: 28121
Location: Free State of Florida
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| Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 7:45 am Post subject: |
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It makes a difference with how the parking brake cable attaches.
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Snort
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Joined: April 02, 2005
Posts: 1964
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Mon May 07, 2012 8:28 am Post subject: |
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| Parking brake cable can still be accommodated by switching backing plates from left to right depending on which style of cable your car has. |
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