Advice on brake springs

Defender 1991 110 TDI.

Renewing drums and shoes. Top spring was in bits. Have got new springs and the top one is not like I thought it should be. Dealer insists it is right. It is 7 inches long and has two small coils either near the end hooks and a long straght bit in the middle. I thought it should have one larger coil in middle and then two long bits to the hooks. (A bit like the bottom one!) Not got near the LR yet to check as away from home. Anyone know what I'm on about and will it do the job?

the 110 1987 onwards list part no 548169 spring shoe return top and as you described bottom single coil part no 531893 hope it's of help

Thanks,
Both old top ones were broken (so prob wrong ones!) New ones fit fine but had to take the hub off to put new shoes and springs on, otherwise impossible!

satchmolips said:

Thanks,
Both old top ones were broken (so prob wrong ones!) New ones fit fine but had to take the hub off to put new shoes and springs on, otherwise impossible!

Click to expand...

"otherwise impossible": I am finding this to be the case ? i.e. I cannot fit the brake shoes/springs. If only the springs were attached to the outboard side!
Has anyone had success fitting these without having to take the hub off ?

Slacken off the adjuster. Put one shoe in position, the other with only one end located. Put springs in place, and grab free end of second shoe with mole grips or similar and lever it out and into place.

Beddo said:

"otherwise impossible": I am finding this to be the case ? i.e. I cannot fit the brake shoes/springs. If only the springs were attached to the outboard side!
Has anyone had success fitting these without having to take the hub off ?

Click to expand...

Is it the same as the series motors, ie only one shoe has the spring to backplate, and not shoe to shoe?

It is the same set up, shoe to shoe spring at the bottom and one from back plate to shoe at the top.

jimwyllie said:

Slacken off the adjuster. Put one shoe in position, the other with only one end located. Put springs in place, and grab free end of second shoe with mole grips or similar and lever it out and into place.

Click to expand...

That's what I have been attempting, but getting the last end of the lower spring in place I am finding impossible to do.
I tried searching YouTube for some help: 'Trailerfitter's Toolbox Videos' are pretty good, and he uses your suggested method, but bends the shoe corner! But he removes the hub prior to changing the shoes.

I fit the lower spring to both shoes then place them on the back plate the inner shoe [ they do overlap ] into its position then with a tyre lever, lever the other shoe into place on the bottom fitting [ one does have to hold the levered shoe at the top while you do this and not putting it in position on the slave but allowing it to slip past a bit on the outside of the slave helps.
Top spring I hook on to shoe pin and then using a large screw driver stretch it and slip off the screwdriver on to the backplate pin.
It is one thing that takes a bit of learned knack to do, like getting angles of lever and screwdriver just so for thing to happen.

Thanks for this advise. I will try that method later. I do not wish to upset the neighbours again with the cussing over the weekend!
It was the lower spring that was the b***h in trying to slot through the second shoe, my next step was to try and offer the shoes up with that lower spring attached to both, and faff around trying to reconnect the upper spring.
I will let you know how I get on

Success!
Slight variation on your method: I connected the lower spring to both shoes, and the upper spring to one shoe, offer all up to the backing plate, then held the shoe with the attached upper spring outboard of the wheel cylinder against that cylinder with a wedge against the back of the hub. Then hooked the upper spring to the other shoe (surprisingly easy to do)
Both shoe uppers then placed in the slots of the cylinder and one shoe bottom behind the retainer. I used a pin punch that was a tight fit in the lower hole in the shoe, and used two toggle bars, one to lever it away, and the other to push it behind the retainer.
Thanks for responding to my initial question, as everything I had previously read or watched indicated that the hub needed to come off.

.

As I said, one of those things that needs a bit of a knack and how done depends a bit on tools to hand. Will be easyer next time. Good it is sorted.