Brake Springs

[toolboxchev]

I am tired of rust. Have a bunch of old brake spring kits laying in buckets as spares.

We, or, they always teach us when doing a drum brake job to use a new spring kit. Why?

Can I not just de rust all the old stuff and spray can away? Rarely I have seen a spring break! No pun intended.

[67C10Step]

Surface rust probably, any pitting and you are playing with fire. Spring rates change and I’ve seen a lot of smaller springs break at a rust pit area.

The cost of a brake spring kit is cheap compared to having brakes not work.

Having ridden motorcycles for 44 years I’ve learned you don’t skimp on tires, brakes, or safety gear.

[toolboxchev]

Very Valid my man. I like having the used spares available though. Some stuff is getting difficult to locate. I can always downshift in an emergency.

Then again I never follow to closely in my truck, the front of these are like a pop can.

[67C10Step]

I finally found a good part number for the parking break spreader bar springs. Took some work by a go getter at the parts counter by oriely’s actually had them.

[weim55]

30+ years ago when I was in automotive tech I always put new spring/hardware kits on all my drum brake jobs. Today I never do, why? , because all the new hardware kits are Chinese junk. You are correct, I never saw spring break back in the day, but after four broken springs on various brake jobs I’m done with the current parts in the supply chain. I carefully inspect the old stuff and reuse it if it passes.

Steve Weim55 Colorado

[toolboxchev]

Thinking I am going to do it. Thanks Weim! Again very valid, another member DavePL was kind enough to gift me with the complete front including spindles. It was a 60 K truck when he purchased roughly 10 years ago.

Even the bearings are still smooth with no pits or wear. Brake Parts are off to the REINVINGARATOR!

[LockDoc]

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I clean and inspect all brake parts and re-use them if they are in good shape.

Here is my small parts cleaner.....

LoclkDoc

[toolboxchev]

That's the right tool! Knocks that stuck on crud and crap off! Thanks Leon, I am on an big vinegar trip!

[weim55]

Important to add : living in Colorado super dry climate, plus we don’t use salt on the roads in the winter = Drum brake hardware that looks like new when you go to clean it up. Even the original paint on the springs is almost always just fine. It takes a big ‘what if’ out of the equation for rust and potential deterioration that you guys in the Rust Belt have to deal with.

Steve weim55 Colorado

[dagnabbitt]

I just reused what I am sure are 52 year-old springs, I soaked and scrubbed them in the parts cleaner, inspected them, and I have to say they are still basically like new.

I have to admit that in a situation where I spent a lot of money on pads, drums, and wheel cylinders that not replacing springs is a bit strange when you think about it, but as mentioned above it's not just cheaping out: old parts in good repair are often in better shape than some of the new stuff being provided.

[jocko]

The reason it's always been said to replace rather than reuse has nothing to do with rust or risk of breaking - it is because the springs lose their, well, "spring" over time after thousands and thousands of cycles between brake jobs. Big deal? Probably not, but they are less efficient and aren't quite what they were when they were new. I replace them every time, but I may need Leon's big ol parts washer when this stuff becomes more scarce. Maybe replace every other brake job would be an approach, dunno. Very good point about the chinese parts though, who knows what you're getting with those - older/used may indeed be better than new.

[KQQL IT]

One broke in the rear of our 68 and it allowed the adjuster to go fully open til it unscrewed itself.
Had to cut the drum off with a torch after it wrecked itself

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by jocko

The reason it's always been said to replace rather than reuse has nothing to do with rust or risk of breaking - it is because the springs lose their, well, "spring" over time after thousands and thousands of cycles between brake jobs. Big deal? Probably not, but they are less efficient and aren't quite what they were when they were new. I replace them every time, but I may need Leon's big ol parts washer when this stuff becomes more scarce. Maybe replace every other brake job would be an approach, dunno. Very good point about the chinese parts though, who knows what you're getting with those - older/used may indeed be better than new.

When I worked as a mechanic, I used to get pretty irritated when someone started in with the "planned obsolescence" comments when they needed their vehicle repaired, because that really wasn't the case- wear parts were being replaced, was all. Now, though, the Chinese make stuff so badly that it may as well be called "planned obsolescence", and I'm not happy about it when I consider that some parts fail long before they should, which is a different animal. Being "built to the the mfgr's spec" is simply not true, with some of the stuff. And if it breaks or wears out too soon, they have another sale!

[special-K]

The fact is, right about the ending of WW2, the big 3 automakers did adapt their auto building from doing their best to build cars to last indefinitely to lasting long enough, with some parts that would never last as long as the rest of them. Some of the thought behind that was people only keep them so long anyway. Who cares about the next guy? But it was also economics as well as hoping to give reason to want to trade-in for the new model. Some of it was to make better performance rather than the old designs that were dead reliable. One example is going from flathead to overhead valves. Flatheads make limited power by design but are so simple and tough they just run and run. The OHV adds multiples more moving parts. More to fail. Studebaker didn't fall into this and that is a big reason they fell out of the game. The people who bought the Studes didn't replace them as often. Frequent styling changes is an aspect of planned obsolescence, not just mechanical longevity.

As far as replacing springs and hardware with every drum brake job goes, I rarely ever have used new. I can count on one hand how many times. The times I did was due to a missing or damaged piece from the P.O. But I have never gone back and had any broken springs after doing that and I keep good brakes on my stuff.

On my motorcycles I am a crazy stickler on everything, but especially anything concerning keeping two spinning wheels under me that can stop as short as possible. I replace the wheel bearings every tme a wheel comes off