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MG MGB Technical - Steady spring[rear brakes]

Can anyone help, I am having one hell of a time trying to put new steady springs on the rear brakes, is there some magical tool or just will power.
J E Turner

I use a pair of needle nose pilers. Just grab the interior wire and put in the brake shoe hole aligne it with the clip on back plate and twist to catch.
Sandy
Sandy Sanders

There are special design pilers availble for this springs but you shuld try a good quality grip piler. It will work easily for those springs.

Ralph
Ralph

I think there's some confusion - the steady spring is the little coil spring that holds each brake shoe to the backing plate. KD makes a tool, http://www.toolfetch.com/Category/Automotive/Brake_Tools/KD2774.htm?per=15&page=3 , that will fit the retaining washer and allow you to turn it with the pin through it. Or, if your hands are strong enough, you can hold the washer with a standard pair of pliers and push straight in and turn it.

Put the brake show up to the backing plate with the pin through it and hold the pin with your fingers on the back side, with your thumb holding the brake shoe. Put the coil spring (steady spring) over the pin and hold that in place with your thumb (thumb on spring/shoe near side, fingers on pin far side backing plate). Place the washer on the spring, turned so that it will go over the pin if pushed straight on, then push it on with a pair of pliers and turn a quarter turn once the pin is through it.

Wayne
Wayne Pearson

Just like to say thanks for the advice, I have done it thanks to a odd tool I found in my late Brother-in -laws tool kit, it took me no time at all, might think about marketing it with some ajustments.
J E Turner

If it's pin between the back plate and shoes just push down on the cap and spriung with a pair of square ended pliers, and reach round the back with your free hand to turn the pin. It's easier than trying to compress the spring and turn the cap at the same time, and works for both removal and replacement. I thought you were asking about the shoe return springs, the third spring (on later cars) is easy enough to remove, a bit trickier to re-attach.
Paul Hunt2

This thread was discussed between 28/04/2008 and 30/04/2008

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