I have not touched drum brakes in years and must have misplaced (or tossed) my old brake tool kit. And of course I am now going to need a set for a recently purchased '64 C10 (no pics yet as it is going on the transporter tomorrow). Any recommendations or does it really matter for this type of tool?
Drum brake tool kit recommendation
- Thread starter vertguy
- Start date
ZRX61
Well-known member
I have a Craftsman set I picked up about 30 years ago, does everything that it needs to do.
joe_padavano
Well-known member
K-D no. 288. I've had this kit since the mid-1970s. Find a good used one.
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I don’t have a kit I just have a bunch of random ones I’ve collected. Mostly OEM, P&C and a few other cheaper brands. They all work fine for me even in a professional setting you just don’t run into them hardly anymore. There are a lot of kits out there though.
four.cycle
Well-known member
You can find tons of them second-hand on Ebay. Any brand you can think of.
Desertskyy
Well-known member
And also at pawn shops
Half the new mechanics out there do not even know how to use drum brake tools along with driving a stick shift or a 3 on the tree
Should have no problem locating what you need used
Whoops my age is showing again
Bulldog13
Well-known member
landrover bodger
Well-known member
i have the set from harbor freight nothing special to look at but they work .
four.cycle
Well-known member
^ you compel me to respond again:
Brake spring pliers are brake spring pliers are brake spring pliers until you need to use the funny little tool at the end to remove/install the retaining springs and clips:
... and that's where you're going to feel the pain of buying cheap tools.
If you look at the photo image above, you will see that THAT device is available on another type of tool as well. You may or may not need that widget.
If you do NOT need that on the pliers, here's as low as you're going to get on US made pliers (https://www.ebay.com/itm/222406277285)
Other than THAT gizmo on the end of those pliers, we very rarely got any of those other tools back as "warranty". As in: hardly ever. The brake pliers came back all the time with the little end of that thing snapped off - very common point of failure.
The adjusting spoons, the funny socket-looking thing on the screwdriver handle, the "S"-shaped tool - we sold thousands of them in all kinds of brands - mostly imports. Returns on those were minimal.
Just my two cents.
Brake spring pliers are brake spring pliers are brake spring pliers until you need to use the funny little tool at the end to remove/install the retaining springs and clips:
... and that's where you're going to feel the pain of buying cheap tools.
If you look at the photo image above, you will see that THAT device is available on another type of tool as well. You may or may not need that widget.
If you do NOT need that on the pliers, here's as low as you're going to get on US made pliers (https://www.ebay.com/itm/222406277285)
Other than THAT gizmo on the end of those pliers, we very rarely got any of those other tools back as "warranty". As in: hardly ever. The brake pliers came back all the time with the little end of that thing snapped off - very common point of failure.
The adjusting spoons, the funny socket-looking thing on the screwdriver handle, the "S"-shaped tool - we sold thousands of them in all kinds of brands - mostly imports. Returns on those were minimal.
Just my two cents.
That plier type tool is mostly for duoservo type brakes, the ends are for the top post return springs, one removes other installs. Never been able to make the pliers end do anything for me. I think duoservo are the easiest to work on but...
I see more leading/trailing type brakes with the anchor at the bottom and adjuster below the wheel cyl. Return springs go from shoe to shoe. Good needle nose and dikes work the best for me
Hold down spring tool is good to have but then some cars use springy clips instead
I really hate the type with the giant horse shoe spring. My hand always gets hit or pinched. Had an old coworker tell there was a tool for them but I've never seen one
I honestly hate working on all drum brakes. Often involves cussing and taking a smoke break
The only good thing about drum brakes is they last forever and sometimes that's the worst part... drums get good and rusty and the shoes get caught on a rust lip, and then you come to find out there is no door to back the shoes off on this particular POS. Thats when you have a real fun time getting the drum off without pulling the pins through the backing plate
I see more leading/trailing type brakes with the anchor at the bottom and adjuster below the wheel cyl. Return springs go from shoe to shoe. Good needle nose and dikes work the best for me
Hold down spring tool is good to have but then some cars use springy clips instead
I really hate the type with the giant horse shoe spring. My hand always gets hit or pinched. Had an old coworker tell there was a tool for them but I've never seen one
I honestly hate working on all drum brakes. Often involves cussing and taking a smoke break
The only good thing about drum brakes is they last forever and sometimes that's the worst part... drums get good and rusty and the shoes get caught on a rust lip, and then you come to find out there is no door to back the shoes off on this particular POS. Thats when you have a real fun time getting the drum off without pulling the pins through the backing plate
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I bought this one a while back. Works keen.
Astro Pneumatic Tool 7848 8-Piece Professional Brake Tool Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061SGO0/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Astro Pneumatic Tool 7848 8-Piece Professional Brake Tool Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061SGO0/?tag=atomicindus08-20
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
The most useful tool I have found for drum brakes is a set of quality Vice Grip needle nose pliers.
Snapped-off
Well-known member
Pliers and a flathead will probably get you by.
I picked up a real nice nos snappy set on ebay years ago. Haven't touched drums since... I did recently take the plastic wrap off it though.
I picked up a real nice nos snappy set on ebay years ago. Haven't touched drums since... I did recently take the plastic wrap off it though.
Do you have to deal with parking brakes on those Subies?
ZRX61
Well-known member
BlakeTheCarGuy
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Yep
. Sometimes. Not often I do brakes though haha usually that goes to the express techs but it does come to regular techs sometimes. I hate fooling with the electronic parking brakes. Especially a reset but it is what it is.I'm looking at an eventual RR wheel bearing on my wife's Outback. yay.Yep
Thanks for all the input! Yeah, way back in my early days of tinkering on cars, I survived without these tools. Then after picking my first set, don't think they were ever used... which explains why they are gone.
Our flea market and swap meet season is about to start, so brake tools are going on the list
Our flea market and swap meet season is about to start, so brake tools are going on the list
techkelly
Well-known member
For occasional use the HF ones are fine. This is coming from a forty-year tool truck user. HF has the set for 19.95
For those of you that want to use pliers, vise grips etc. great. I did that when I was young. I will just keep on doing it the
fast and easy way.
For those of you that want to use pliers, vise grips etc. great. I did that when I was young. I will just keep on doing it the
fast and easy way.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Don't take the shoes off unless you need to get wild. I wedge a tapered air hammer bit behind the backing plate, near the top, where it's the most beefy. Wedge out the backing plate/bearing assembly, don't worry if it falls, it's connected by the e-brake cable still. Then suffer until the end of time beating the bearing out of the backing plate with a 4lb sledge. I had one recently that must have taken 50 swings. Can only hit it so hard, holding the backing plate in one hand and swinging with the other.
oh for sure, thats the set i eventually bought some time ago. for as little as you see drum brakes these days the HF stuff works fine
OT: I did both front bearings on my '14 Outback (no E brake) and found that in my case the hub shocker had the hub off the knuckle with about 4 judicious licks of a sledgehammer.
anndel
Well-known member
Bought a set like this in the 90s and been using it ever since. Still works like a charm.Pliers and a flathead will probably get you by.
I picked up a real nice nos snappy set on ebay years ago. Haven't touched drums since... I did recently take the plastic wrap off it though.
David99
Well-known member
Is it cloaked?
They are occasionally used tools, and there is tonnage of it on the used market. I bought these tools for a dollar or less a piece, and amended the set with a VIM brake bleeder wrench set, a couple better spring pullers, and a few other things.
You can see that the little adjuster *** is broken off the OEM brake pliers... I broke that off 30 years ago.
You can see that the little adjuster *** is broken off the OEM brake pliers... I broke that off 30 years ago.
Attachments
Raineman
Well-known member
This is the way. I see brake tools at EVERY flea market, and a lot of yard sales with tools.
There are certain tools that are so common and cheap, that if you even dabble in the used market (garage sales, estate sales, flea markets, EBay..., I do not understand why you would buy new.
Obviously, extenuating circumstances, like a time crunch, would change that.
Obviously, extenuating circumstances, like a time crunch, would change that.
ThePostman
Well-known member
Needle nose vise grips are the only thing I need primarily for drum brakes. Depending on how the cable is attached, maybe a screwdriver and a hammer if it's the horseshoe clip type. Pocket screwdriver for the adjuster.