Brake Shoe Removal Tool ?

[girlnouveau]

I'm replacing my brake pads tomorrow, so I'm doing my homework and watching my bug me videos again and taking notes. (amateur, obviously)

He uses this tool to take the springs/pins off that hold the shoe on (not the horizontal springs the ones that are in the center of the brake shoe)


What's the deal with this tool!?
What's it called?
Do I actually need it?
What's a good alternative to the tool?



I don't anticipate that my shoes will be real bad but I'm going in to check anyway as inspection time is approaching. I might not even replace them. Last year I bought a set, got the flu, and just had my mechanic do the work and ended up buying two sets really. Oh well So I still have all new shoes for my car. The ones on there now have been on for a whole year of daily driving.

Last week an idiot SUV driver almost rolled his car over to avoid hitting a cat by slamming his breaks doing 50mph, and I hit the brakes to avoid hitting him. THANK GOD I don't tailgate. Ever. I stopped like 3 inches short of his back wheel when he swerved.

Long story short, I squealed like hell and then my front brakes even smoked some. So I have no idea what they're going to look like when I get in there. I hope I didn't score the drum all up or I'll be really pissed off. That guy did exactly the wrong thing...for a cat no less. (and I love animals, but geez!)

Anyway....this was a tool question....but any insight as to how bad smoking brakes are would be helpful too.


I replaced all the WC's, the MC, and hoses this winter, and it's not like my brakes are a problem, but I figure, inspection is here, I'd rather check my brake shoes now rather than 1) die because my brakes suck or 2) end up having to pay to have someone replace them when I could do them myself and already have all new brake shoes.

Opinions?

[JonF]

you can do it with out that tool! most of the time i take the hold down springs off with just my hand and if i cant do it by hand i do it with pliers.

if you just had the shoes replaced a year ago i bet the shoes are still good.
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68 bug 1600sp 30/31
68 baja 1600sp 010 32ndix

[girlnouveau]

Even with the smoking you think they'll be okay?

It's my daily, but I bet I only put like 1.5 - 2k miles on it since the shoes went on.

[JonF]

i think they shouldnt still be smoking. if so get them an ash tray lol jk

i think you will be ok. if you crawl under your car and look at the back side of the brakes there should be 4 wholes. 2 to adjust your brake shoes and 2 to inspect the brake shoes. look in the wholes and see how much lining you have left and compare to your new ones. i really thing they should be ok unless you broke the lining off the shoe.
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68 bug 1600sp 30/31
68 baja 1600sp 010 32ndix

[girlnouveau]

Well that's good news!

How long (and/or how many miles) do brake shoes usually last?

I've only owned the car a year and a half. So when they needed to be replaced last year, I wasn't sure what to expect this year. Purrrrs like a kitten though. So I can't imagine (knock on wood) that it should need anything to pass!

Finger crossed.

[JonF]

about every 3000 miles you should adjust them or at lest check and see if they need adjusted. i got 5 years out of my last set of shoes before i decided to replace them.
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68 bug 1600sp 30/31
68 baja 1600sp 010 32ndix

[girlnouveau]

Good to know!

Thank you for the info!

[booch]

[JonF]

no prob! i hope it helps some!

btw those bug me videos are nice to have around. nice to watch someone else do the job before you try to do it yourself. on the down side he can make the job look alot easier then what it is.
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68 bug 1600sp 30/31
68 baja 1600sp 010 32ndix

[girlnouveau]

I can buy it at Sears?

Oh heck, as long as I don't have to mail order it, I'm game.





That guy NEVER gets dirty! When he was repacking the bearings he jokes about it being everyone's favorite part of the video because he actually gets his hands in the grease. LOL.

[booch]

$6.99 at Sears.

[JonF]

[Cusser]

Tool is available at Sears, autoZone, etc., much easier with it. And likely less than $10, you won't regret it. For the horizontal springs I just grap with a vise-grip, and use by body weight to help remove/install them.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[dkmullen]

Disclaimer: I haven't done Bug brakes yet, but assuming they are like virtually every other drum brake in the universe then here's a proven method:

After you've got the drum off and you're looking at the shoes and springs, simply pull one shoe outward until the end of it disengages from the slot on the slave cylinder. Then ease the brake shoe back towards the center of things. The main thing here is that you're getting the brake shoes off the slave cylinder so the brake shoes can move closer to each other.

Once the brake shoes are off the slave cylinder and sitting closer to each other, it's quite easy to disengage the springs with little-to-no effort. Sometimes you need pliers just to grab a spring, but not to lever it.

I've used this technique on old Scouts and Jeeps, Hondas, MGBs, Austin-Healeys, Minis, Chevys. It should work the same on a Bug.

Cheers!
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Desmond Mullen
'65 patina splitty daily driver

[peecee69]

[dkmullen]

Oh, my bad! Sorry about that.

For those I always just use a pair of pliers spread apart a little bit. Touch them to the round disc, push it in and turn them 90 degrees "and Bob's your uncle!" (As those crazy Brits say, in other words, "you're good!")

-DM
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Desmond Mullen
'65 patina splitty daily driver

[Duane]

I would put money on it that 95 percent of mechanics either have that tool and don't use it or they have never used one. I know in 20 plus years I never have, fingers, push and turn and a pair of needle nose (or needle vise grips) that grip is all you need.

[alexnwolf]

it literally takes 30 seconds to do by hand and you'll see why once you get your hands on it(wear gloves) grab the spring with one hand and push in while with your other hand on the back of the brake drum, keep the pin from being pushed in. turn 90* and you're done.

gl

[candymustang65]

Just like to mention that if Drumm's looked Scoured < may or May not Be .
Often if you take rough sand paper to brakeing surface drumm's will clean right up .
Also most manual's have a pic of assembled brakes in them !
Good Manual will devote a whole page to a pic of Assembled brake's .
40 Year's of brake's I still use the Pic to check my Work !
Usual most common Screw up's are ?
1 - Pay attention to the Angled slot in the adjuster goes certain way .
2 - The shoe cant be upside down they have a top and a bottom .
3- On the rear the E brake Cable clamp tabb goes inside the backing plate < often these will be bent and deformed from wrong installation .
4 - No Painting Drumm's with VHT type paint .
Only paint Drumm's with Primer type paint Krylon Flat black Primer preferd or any colour long as it's Primer paint !
Painting Drum brakes with VHT type paint seal's heat in and will either Ruin the Brakes or at minimum cause excessive wear of the shoes .
If your Drumm's are painted ?
Might wanna wire brush the paint to Bare metal .
They'll cool better dissipitate heat faster !
Sean

[BUGGED11111]