Rear Brakes

[starider]

Has anyone tried to fit new Parking Brake shoes to the rear inner parking brakes. It all starts very simple until you have to remove/replace the pins,springs and retaining washers which hold the shoes against the back plate.Each shoe is held against back plate with a pin which looks like a nail with a flattened end.This pin is fitted from the back of the back plate,through a hole in the back plate,through a hole in the shoe,the small[very strong] small coil spring is placed over the protruding pin,pushed on through the slot in the retaining washer and turned through 90 degrees to hold the spring in place, to hold the the bottom of each shoe against the back plate. I have found this virtually impossible. As you push the cap onto the pin against the strong pressure of the spring and try to turn the washer  90 degrees, there is no way to keep the pin in place and it just drops out of the hole[s].

Has anyone had success in reassembling the rear brakes? I have spent hours and all sorts of methods to refit these parts. Thanks.

[Ceri]

There is certainly a bit of a back to it. I hold the disc with a pair of adjustable pliers so I can push and turn easier. I also hold the head of the pin in place with a single finger, just to stop it sliding backwards as you push it from the front. I would always recommend getting a shoe fitting kit when changing these, just so you have a full complement of clips and springs etc for when one inevitably ends up somewhere in the neighbours garden..