Installation of parking brake coil spring ?

[Conaway2]

This is the coil spring outside the rear backing plate that pushes the parking brake lever to retract.

There must be a trick to install this - does anyone have any tips how to get this spring in place ?

Thanks - Jim

[J Franklin]

I tie a string on it with a loop for my finger and use that to pull it back far enough to slide it on the lever. Use a screwdriver to push it over the lever.

[Dean Lemoine]

Keep in mind, they’re side specific. That usually adds to the challenge of putting them on.

[jb-ob]

I just completed this exercise Sunday, not fun.

First thought was these repo springs must vary in resistance from original. It's one of those projects having you wonder "How did they do this on the assembly line.

After an hour & half I decided repo parts are not sacred, I employed Mr. Bench Grinder to remove a 1/16th from the hook and beveled the spring end. This took some of the fight out of the passenger side spring.

The driver's side was no cake walk either. When finished it had tension enough to launch a brick over the goal posts !

"How did they do this.....???" Good Luck

[Bill G]

For me, it's really easier to take the rear assemblies off and put that $^#*!! spring on while on the bench. It's not that hard to get the assembly off the axle and rear radius rods.

[Sunnybrook Farm]

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I think they put them on while the body is off on the assembly line which is how I did it, easier when standing over it than laying under it.

[PalAl]

Search "Installing emergency brake return spring" lots of advice
Here are a few that may be helpful

#18
H. L. Chauvin
Senior Member

Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 4,179
Default Re: Installing emergency brake return springs
Best to remove "C" as mentioned above; however, if everything is already assembled, hope this helps in this particular case:

Just installed two last night with backing plate on & everything assembled.

1. First, the point on the emergency brake spring hook, (which ressembles a large fish hook), points towards the differential on both the right & left side springs; & the spring fits between the emergency brake arm lever & the backing plate. The hook part of the spring hooks at top on the emergency brake lever & the bottom straight part of the spring hooks on crevice between the backing plate & the rear radius rod. (The end of the straight part of the spring at the bottom points towards the engine compartment).

2. Tool: Make a hook tool with a coat hanger with about a 1/2" return on the hook side, & from the 1/2" hook on the tool hook to the bottom of the wood handle should be about 7".

3. Tool Handle: The handle can be a 5" long broom handle, large dowel, or a piece of 5" long wood, 3/4" x 1-1/2", with a coat hanger wire size through-hole drilled through the 3/4" side & centered on the 5" width. After the wire goes throught the wood, make a knot with the wire to keep it from re-entering the hole in the wood handle when pulling the hook.

4. Hook the hook tool on the top of the emergency brake spring hook & pull forward towards the engine.

5. TRICKS:

A. Work from inside the rear wheel fender well, (under the fender where the tire goes), as oposed to under the chassis.

B..The emergency brake spring hook point pointing towards the differential will definitely stop after pulling forward when it hits the emergency brake lever arm; however, get a flat head screw driver & compress & push the emergency brake spring hook sideways & outwards, i.e., towards the backing plate & brake shoes, while simultaneously pulling the emergency brake spring hook forward with the hook tool.

C. Snap -- both of mine went in -- compressing the emergency brake spring upper hook sideways & outwards allows this emergency brake spring point to bypass the emergency brake lever with less friction & snap in place, forward of the lever. The emergency brake spring should place pressure on the lever towards the rear of the car.

Hope this helps.

(When providing & trying to install two (2) new emergency brake lever arms, two (2) new emergency brake toggle levers with new grease zerks, & two (2) new emergency brake lever bolts & half moon key sets, the two (2) new emergency brake lever arms would not fit because the two (2) new half moon keys were too wide & too high -- solution was to place keys in a vise-grip pliers, use a flat file, & remove a few thousanths of an inch from the sides & from the bottoms of the round parts of the two (2) half moon keys -- then everything fitted together just fine -- please expect to fine tune & "fit" lots of new replacement parts using Dremel Tools & files -- the Model A parts vendors are doing their best to provide quality parts, but they can only sell what they get from today's parts manufactirers).
Last edited by H. L. Chauvin; 11-23-2012 at 02:20 AM. Reason: Info added info in blue

wrndln
Senior Member

Join Date: May 2010
Location: Lakeville, MN
Posts: 4,578
Default Re: Installing emergency brake return springs
There is a picture of one in the link below. It isn't a great picture, but you can see the part that goes over the lever to tell left from right. This spring is a bear to install. I ended up taking the emergency brake shaft loose to get the spring over the lever. I even made a hook tool, but still couldn't get over the lever until I disconnected the shaft pin to allow the lever to move back a little. Once I did that, I could with my hook tool, get it around the lever.

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showth...+brake+springs

Rusty Nelson

mass A man
Senior Member

mass A man's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Danvers, Ma.
Posts: 568
Default Re: Installing emergency brake return springs
I was wondering why I saved all those worn out rusty brake rods... Know I know. A few years back, my son in law formed this giant "fish hook" out of an old brake rod. It works SO NICE when winding up that darned spring. NO wires, no removing backing plates or pulling on things with vice grips. This is now in my special tool box of "Approved Ford Tools". Isn't he so clever?? I put a quarter near the tool because it appears I did photograph a little fish hook.
Attached Images
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[Conaway2]

I have both rear backing plates off while the rear axle is being rebuilt, so had easy access to do this. I discovered disconnecting the ‘C’ parking brake link makes it much easier to install the coil spring.

[Gary Karr]

A simple solution, just get an early '28 that doesn't have a separate parking brake!