FRONT BRAKE SHOE RETAINER SPRING

[island blue]

I've just found that my front breaks are missing FRONT BRAKE SHOE RETAINER SPRING.
Is it dangerous to drive without them? Does anybody has some drawing about fitting or advice where and how to do this? Please let me know. THANKS!

[madaboutcherry]

no, it wont be dangerous, you,ll find that you get a better pedal with them fitted, which if you've got a single circuit system you need all the help you can get.

[island blue]

thanks! Just wondering what could be source of this situation: driving very slow down the hill (very down), one "big spring" holding two brake shoes together felt of and the wheel got completely blocked... Any idea anybody, please!

[mk1]

Loosing the springs from the shoes should not cause the drum to lock. As has already been said these merely hold everything tight together. If a wheel locked I suspect that it is nothing to do with the lack of or broken springs, but something else entirely. The springs themselves fit into a round & a slotted hole in the shoes themselves. When fitting them make sure you fit the springs the correct way round as if they are fitted upside down the springs will rub on the hub and eventually wear through, causing the problem referred to in the first post on this thread.

[cheleker]

The first generation twin-leaking (not a mis-spelling) shoe set-ups (smaller diameter wheel cylinders) did not use the beehive springs and the cylinder pistons didn't have a hole for them. If that is what you have, the brakes will work OK without the springs. Don't panic because of the lack of springs. If you have the later set-up (15/16" i.d. wheel cylinders) use the springs.

[WNX700H]

The front drum brake on all bar the very early cars are twin leading shoe ie both shoes have a self servo effect on them such that when the shoes touch the drum the shoes tend to force themselves into the drum . Hence the springs are there to restore the running clearance when hydraulic pressure is released.

You can prove this self servo effect by adjusting up the brake til it binds and then continue to rotate the drum , the torque to maintain rotation of the drum will increase as the self servo effect starts.

Try reversing the car the front brake then has twin trailing shoes in this direction thats why trying to stop the car in reverse requires more pedal effort.

Clear ?

[island blue]

First, THANKS everybody for your answers - it is GREAT to have somebody with deep knowledge of the matter to give me any advice!

Now about the "thing": I have late mk1 (1967) setup - twin cylinders. It should be the early twin cylinders (smaller diameter). The reason why the drum got completely locked was that one of the "big springs" (not retainer spring) felt of one brake shoe. The car could go back but no forward - not a single inch. When I put the spring back in place, everything seems to work fine. When putting it back, I just found there are no retainer springs. Cheleker says there were not any retainer springs at this early twin cylinders setup - than everything should be fine (But I've seen in some catalogues there should be retainer springs in all twin cylinders setups, should be )

Re: mk1 - Mark: "The springs themselves fit into a round.." you mean retainer springs, do you?

Re: WNX700H - Clear? Yes, clear. Well, almost clear...