Honda (Fit?) - Tiny Drum Brakes

[IndyIan]

On my own car I've used side cutters to grab springs, and the parking brake cables, after watching a "pro" do it on youtube. Then you aren't much strength to grip the spring, and you get a flat head screw driver in to pry on something to help you.
Its not the right way, but if you are careful and you've got new hardware kit and the old springs aren't rusty, you have a spare. There is hardly a mark on the springs, and is on the straight wire part, so they don't flex there to create a stress point.
Also find a youtube video of someone doing it easily and copy them!
I used my bent needle nose pliers too, makes it easier to pull inline with the springs.
On the kids dirt bikes, I just get the springs on the shoes on the work bench and use a big flat head to open them up to slide them onto the pin and cylinder.

 

[Astro14]

Ok. Few details. Bob is 73 not 80.
The car is a 2010 Fit.
He got the driver side all together today by doing it off the car like I did yesterday and slipping it on. He just couldn’t get the spring clips on the locating pins. I brought my bada$$ Icon needle noses and got them on in ten minutes.
Thanks for the replies.

Did you bleed the brakes?

If you had a piston come out, it got air in that cylinder, and you need to do a bleed.

 

[troymcclure]

I have a 2011 Sentra and a 2012 Fit. Done the drums once on the fit and twice on the Sentra. The right tools are key to being efficient.

This is the best tool for the springs on these cars. Lisle 45100.

This is the best tool for the hold downs. Better for the cup style on the Sentra but works ok for the Fit.

 

[troymcclure]

I have a 2011 Sentra and a 2012 Fit. Done the drums once on the fit and twice on the Sentra. The right tools are key to being efficient.

This is the best tool for the springs on these cars. Lisle 45100.

View attachment 333999


This is the best tool for the hold downs. Better for the cup style on the Sentra but works ok for the Fit.
View attachment 333995

With these tools, I can do the drums faster than pads/rotors just because of all the caliper prep involved in a car that sees salt. I’ve come to appreciate how maintenance free drums can be in salt.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Crazy to even hear about a car with drum brakes any more.

I wonder why they still use drum brakes? Is there a cost-to-manufacture benefit?

 

[JeffKeryk]

Did you bleed the brakes?

If you had a piston come out, it got air in that cylinder, and you need to do a bleed.

It's possible to pop out the piston and render the wheel cylinder dangerous.
Don't ask me how I know...

 

[troymcclure]

I wonder why they still use drum brakes? Is there a cost-to-manufacture benefit?

I’d think so when you compare to a drum in rotor rear setup which basically has both a full disc and drum setup minus the cylinder.

VW feel they are a better option for EVs so maybe we will see a resurgence.

 

[NYEngineer]

Did you bleed the brakes?

If you had a piston come out, it got air in that cylinder, and you need to do a bleed.

We did.

 

[NYEngineer]

I have a 2011 Sentra and a 2012 Fit. Done the drums once on the fit and twice on the Sentra. The right tools are key to being efficient.

This is the best tool for the springs on these cars. Lisle 45100.

View attachment 333999


This is the best tool for the hold downs. Better for the cup style on the Sentra but works ok for the Fit.
View attachment 333995

I have the tool for the hold downs. They aren't round like the old ones. They're U shaped spring clips. That tool doesn't work. I ended up pushing it down with big needle nose pliers and twisting the pin 90 degrees with another smaller pair.

 

[NYEngineer]

On my own car I've used side cutters to grab springs, and the parking brake cables, after watching a "pro" do it on youtube. Then you aren't much strength to grip the spring, and you get a flat head screw driver in to pry on something to help you.
Its not the right way, but if you are careful and you've got new hardware kit and the old springs aren't rusty, you have a spare. There is hardly a mark on the springs, and is on the straight wire part, so they don't flex there to create a stress point.
Also find a youtube video of someone doing it easily and copy them!
I used my bent needle nose pliers too, makes it easier to pull inline with the springs.
On the kids dirt bikes, I just get the springs on the shoes on the work bench and use a big flat head to open them up to slide them onto the pin and cylinder.

I wanted to use side cutters to do that but since it wasn't my car I did not.

 

[Timmastertech]

This is the best tool for the brake return springs https://www.ebay.com/itm/175578522995

This is the best tool for the hold down springs and pins https://www.lislecorp.com/specialty-tools/brakes/import-car-brake-clip-tool

 

[slacktide_bitog]

I have a 2011 Sentra and a 2012 Fit. Done the drums once on the fit and twice on the Sentra. The right tools are key to being efficient.

This is the best tool for the springs on these cars. Lisle 45100.

View attachment 333999


This is the best tool for the hold downs. Better for the cup style on the Sentra but works ok for the Fit.
View attachment 333995

Yes. The Lisle drum brake spring tool is awesome

Actually my old '02 used the weird one-piece shoe that just "flexes" open. Easy -- if you ignore the fact it didn't hardly work as a parking brake.

Those are awesome! Easy to replace and no scary springs

Even GM knew it and briefly returned to full-on rear drum brakes in the GMT800 because they realized they couldn't seem to manage to make a parking brake work with rear discs

Nobody can

They are ALL prone to failure, especially if you don't use the parking brake. You need new calipers every time you replace rear pads and rotors that use the parking brake off the rear disc/pads.