The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Update on front axle restoration

Today I installed the shoes, springs, wheel cylinders and hold down springs. Next is finishing the drums and leaf springs. Lots of wire wheelin to go.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/96669114/101155717pwvgmb

Good job, but I thought 1950 trucks had huck brakes, but you have Bendix brakes. You planning on taking your leaf springs apart and cleaning them up and reassembling? Hope you have better luck than me, I had the same idea, but had to toss those springs when I discovered the pivot bolts had worn through the spring eye bushing and into the spring metal itself.

All that hardware looks really great. It would be a shame to get it dirty. How are you going to lift up the truck to put it on the bench ?

Brian,
10+ years ago I installed my '53 rear end into the '50. Now I am preparing a '53 front end to also go in with Bendix brakes. I'll have two different sets of leaf springs to consider using for the final application.

Truckernix,
Yes this will be difficult but nonetheless a challenge. Actually once I'm done with the front end, I'll need to finish the leaf springs and then re-do the brake system. After which I'll be ready to install the front end. It's currently being restored back in my workshop and will be relocated forward into the gargage when it's time to be installed.

Yes, if only the topside of my truck looked as sweet as the potential bottom side.....

Nice work....Thanks for posting the pictures...

Painted and installed the hubs. Next, leafsprings restore while waiting for the 3.55 gears to arrive. Note for those who might restore their front axle out of the truck, to install the axle onto a couple 2x4 wooden blocks as shown but first rip a shallow "V" in the tops of the blocks to contour the bottom of the axle, and then you can bolt the axle to the blocks, allowing a very sturdy means of holding it upright and high enough to allow drum installation and rotation.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/96669114/104065937EsEBNw

Your spring eyes do not look even half as bad as mine were. I really think if the previous owner had just used a grease gun once in a while, I would not have ended up tossing all 4 leafs in the dumpster and buying new ones. Ouch! $$$

Very nice work cmayna. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

A fellow bolter just emailed me and asked how I stretched the brake return springs far enough to clasp over the upper pivot bolt. I kick myself a million times for not taking a picture of the tool in action that I've had sitting in my tool box for 10+years. Imagine a fish hook which fishermen used on fishing vessels to grapple the fish when they came in (yes Norselander, I did that also when I lived in your neighborhood).

The handle (aluminum) is 5" long. The shaft was a threaded rod which I heated and bent to make a hook. This devise was used by our company back when we mfg bicycle saddles here in the states. I always thought this tool might come handy someday, so I brought it home and stashed it away in my tool box.

These return springs require a lot of tension when installing them. Though it was a little more than expected, I was able to stretch these return springs without too much difficulty with this grappling tool. It reminds me of a dentist having a terrible time pulling a stubborn molar with one foot on the patient's face, just yankin that puppy out of there. That's kinda how I felt pulling these return springs into place.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/96669114/105129247bqbfEg

I'll send you mine to do next. Great job it looks good.

There is a very simple brake tool for doing that. I have never had one at home and I have always used a large screwdriver to do the job. Now that I have Huck brakes, I have the correct tool for the Bendix brakes! Go figure !

I have some kind of a tool used for these return springs but it is not obvious to me exactly how to use it. It looks like a big set of pliers or scissors, with one of the ends being hooked and the other end having a loop bent into it. I inherited it but it didn't have any instructions. So until I can figure out how to use it I will continue to use vice grips to grab on to the spring end and pull it until it can be hooked on the anchor pin.

SoTxBoTi , I have one of those tools too .
You hook the spring in one of the retaining holes in the break shoe , then hook the smallhook end of the tool to the spring and dig the large hook with the point on it into the break lining about near the hole in the other shoe that you want to put the spring into , squeeze the handles together to stretch the spring and use your skill and dexterity to flip/slide the spring end into it's retaining hole.
Good Luck

I put a lot of shoe springs on with needle nose pliers and a narrow slot screwdriver before I bought the brake spring tool. Don't buy the made in lower slobovia cheapy, get a good one, made in USA. You won't be sorry.

I thought I saw somewhere that the hooked end was supposed to dig into the other shoe. I guess this isn't going to damage the shoe. My spring tool also has an odd-shaped cylinder on the end of one of the handles. It's function is not obvious either but I'm thinking it might have something to do with removing/installing brake shoe retainer springs. Mine isn't the best quality in the world so maybe I'll keep an eye out for a better one.

Mine is still in the package along with the instructions and diagrams. If I can get it together here, I will scan them and send them to you.

As you thought, the round part is used to remove the return springs from the anchor pin at the top.

You use the other leg of the same end to slide the spring onto the anchor pin.

The other end of the tongs is used to place the remaining end of the adjuster spring in the shoe.

Can you imagine, if it takes this amount of energy to discuss how to stretch a brake spring, what it takes to discuss how to put a man on the moon ?

Sorry, but to be really corny, are you saying it is not rocket science?

The tool Dusty was mentioning is very common. I think these were used alot more in the fashion he was talking about when the linings were riveted instead of bonded. I ran into the same issue lately. What I ended up doing is to drill a hole in the lining for the pointed part of the tool to set into (like a riveted lining) That way it is a clean install and the point of the tool doesn't slip around on the lining messing it all up. It does not hinder the integrity of the brake pad.

Brent