[Brakes] M59 Rear Brakes Hellish Design

[Jehu40]

Fitting new brake shoes is a nightmare jo. What designer puts the springs BEHIND the shoes where they can't be stretched and clipped on. No doubt dealers have "special tools" to tackle the springs. I had to remove the brake cylinders and even then I needed an assistant. After throwing tools onto the drive I cursed the designer.

[geoff]

It'll be easier the next time around ....................

[oilyrag]

I found the only (sensible) way was to remove the cylinders - despite having a great selection of tools there was no way I could see to get the springs in place - crazy! I must have done well, as Gudrun, the au pair, had the day off, so I was on my own !

[Gadgetman]

I believe it's the same design on the M49, except that it has a manual adjuster instead of automatic...

Yeah, they're a pain. But there's a trick to it. You remove the caliper... ;-)

Actually, you remove the two screws holding it in place, thn move it as far up as you can.

1. Fit the upper return spring to the top of the leading and trailing brake shoe.
2. adjust the adjuster strut to minimum length. Then engage it with the Leading shoe and the handbrake lever.
3. Uno the two screws holding the cylinder, and carefully ease it awy from the backplate util the bleed screw is clear from the backplate.Move the cylinder upwards as far as the hydraulic line will allow...
4. Move the partially assembled brake shoes into position(well, a bit too high) and let it clamp onto the cylinder.
5. Feed the lower pivot spring behind the lower pivot post and connect it to the leading shoe.
6. While holding the spring onto the leading shoe with one hand, hook the other end with a screwdriver.
7. Pull the end of the spring back with the screwdrier until the tip hooks onto the hole on the trailing shoe... Gentlyy tease it to slip through... This is the painful part...
8. Just finish it already, by lowering the shoes onto the lower pivot post and slipping the cylinder back into place. fasten with screws... Finish the adjuster bits, hook up the handbrake and so on...

This just distilled and distorted from what I read in the Haynes manual...

EDIT: It may be simpler to just convert it to disc brakes...

[Jehu40]

I wish I had known it could be converted to disk brakes before I sepnt £120 on drums shoes and cylenders and springs !