Front brake shoes

[wrongway]

So I replaced my front shoes today and had a devil of a time getting the leading shoe into place. Every time I tried to lever the bottom into position the top would not stay put.
Eventually I managed to do it but it took forever. Is there a better way to do it now that Im done? And as was doing that I noticed my brake line that goes from cylinder to cylinder is so old it has rusted or cracked and is leaking. Looks like pangolin is the only place that sells preformed lines to replace.

[roverp480]

This tool in helpful , hook it over the end of the shoe to lever it into position, and its a straight pull. The slot in the hook is to clear the centre web on the shoe. Similar item eBay item number:334128424972
Is there not a local Auto shop who could make a pipe up to fit ?

[vlad_d]

John Craddock has these pre-bent:

https://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/nrc5347-brake-pipe-cylinder-to-cylinder-11-inch-front-brakes.html

The photo is wrong, they come pre-bent. I ordered the same one on two occasions within the last 3 months. Incidentally, I would get an extra one...as they are really easy to strip the threads. And they are only $5. So, good insurance. Ask me how I know that :/

I had trouble finding a local auto shop who would touch my 1973 S3 brakes. The young guys don't know how to work on them, and the old timers are affraid to get stuck in and not be able to order specialty parts. Also, the brake fittings are European double bubble inverted flares (DIN) which can thread into standard American Inverted flares but don't seal. You really have to find a competent mechanic who's paying attention.

For the install leverage: I never got the hang of the drum brake tool(the long pliers type). I had great luck with a big pair of vise grips on the bottom of the shoe...on the metal part. I put some clean cloth on the pad so as not to scuff it up, and clamp the vise grips in line with the shoe...so it males a big lever, with the wheel cylinder end as the fulcrum, and the vise grip handle as the other end. And it obviously helps if the backing plate is on the car, so you can lean into it and it doesn't move. With a 10" vise grips on there, you have about 2 feet of leverage on that spring.

@Roverp480: That tool looks great! All the spindley plyer-type drum brake tools at the local auto parts store are junk! I bent them like a coat hanger trying to stretch the spring into place on my Rover.

[wrongway]

Thats a good price on the brake lines. Atlantic British want $19.95. Guaranteed lowest price they say lol. Ordered 2 from pangolin for $22. Waited for 2 days for an invoice for the shipping cost. Never received one so sent them an email. They reply saying they sent it to paypal. Like Im supposed to know this? Anyhow the shipping from the US to Canada is killer but you only live once so I am now waiting for its arrival.
I will try the vice grip trick next time. Or make one of those tools.

[vlad_d]

First time I ordered from them, their shipping email sat in my junk email folder for like 2 weeks. I got angry with them, but then realised it was my fault. Still...it's a weird way to do it...two separate emails. I should have warned ya. I put a note in my other post about the two emails("Comprehensive parts suppliers-Its a small world")

Man, shipping is the worst part of Land Rover ownership. EVERYTHING is 2 weeks away. I'm on the US West Coast. So, it takes me just as long to get something from Vermont as from the UK. I hate to order "small parts", because the shipping is often the same price as the part. I've taken to just outright ordering stuff I "might" need in advance. Like, if all I'm doing is a small bearing or something...I'll spend +$30 and just order all the bolts, seals and gaskets around it... in case I wait 2 weeks for the part and get in there and find out I need another tiny part...wait 2 more weeks and $30 shipping. Ugh. Might as well have some new bolts, too.

Another thing I do is pile on stuff. I was just on our host's site a few days ago buying a $10 part. Then I spent an hour trying to see if there was anything else I needed so as to save on shipping. Ended up getting some D ring shackles for $100. Hmm. The math is sketchy, here...

[wrongway]

Got my brake line in a week. No notice from them if it was mailed or not. Just turned up one day. Found it was'nt possible to hook up the line to the bottom wheel cylinder due to the space. Had to remove the wheel cylinder which meant taking the brakes apart again. After unbolting the wheel cyl it would'nt fit thru the hole because of the bleed screw which would'nt turn. But it was rounded off enough that I managed to pry it thru. After freeing up the bleed screw it went togeather easy enough. The vice grips on the brake shoe trick worked well.