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Tue May 01, 2012 5:26 pm

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.

Tue May 01, 2012 5:53 pm

I would have never known had my buddy not purchased one.
No clue where he got it, but here is one at Pep Boys that will save you your sanity.

http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/291310/

Its weird you can have one wheel go so well, and the other be a major pain. Good luck!

Tue May 01, 2012 7:26 pm

I'm partial to using a spring hook install tool. Under $6 and very easy to use. I believe I got mine @ Sears, but WalMart sells them too

Tue May 01, 2012 7:26 pm

I'm partial to using a spring hook install tool. Under $6 and very easy to use. I believe I got mine @ Sears, but WalMart sells them too

Tue May 01, 2012 7:35 pm

how does that work? it looks something i used for an abortion once.

Tue May 01, 2012 8:27 pm

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.

Tue May 01, 2012 10:47 pm

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.

Wed May 02, 2012 12:08 pm

i have always used needle nose pliers and i have definitly let a few fly away :oops: but it gets the job done

Wed May 02, 2012 1:26 pm

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

Wed May 02, 2012 5:30 pm

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.

Wed May 02, 2012 5:54 pm

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.

Wed May 02, 2012 10:21 pm

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.

Wed May 02, 2012 10:22 pm

These are pics of a 1956-57 rear brake set up-

And this is what a1953-55 rear brake set up looks like-

Thu May 03, 2012 6:56 am

I've always used vice grips...

Thu May 03, 2012 7:20 am

[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 :oops:
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.

Thu May 03, 2012 11:37 am

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. :)

Thu May 03, 2012 1:24 pm

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.

Thu May 03, 2012 1:28 pm

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.

Mon May 07, 2012 7:45 am

It makes a difference with how the parking brake cable attaches.

Mon May 07, 2012 8:28 am

Parking brake cable can still be accommodated by switching backing plates from left to right depending on which style of cable your car has.