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hi how easy is it for someone with basic mechanical knowledge to change the hand brake shoes over on 2.0 hdi

Here's the knowledgebase article, if you tackle it methodically you'll be fine; the most fiddly bit is getting the springs back on & adjusting the new shoes. Loads of us have done the job so any problems let us know!

I had to do both sides on my car. Got a kit off ebay for £28.00 Think it was a motaquip kit which comes with eveything you need to refurb the shoes. Took about 1hr to fit. Could have done it in less time but the pass side was being a bugger. Like mentioned above, getting the spring to latch on to its retainer can be a pain in the arse.

Those springs are an utter bastard, I've done quite a few in my time but they were obviously designed to fillet your fingers. It's just a sodding parking brake ffs

steve_earwig wrote:Those springs are an utter bastard, I've done quite a few in my time but they were obviously designed to fillet your fingers. It's just a sodding parking brake ffs

I've got the scars to prove it as well, poxy bloody things

I ended up cutting a notch into the end of a flat bladed screw driver so that I could use it to hook the end of the spring safely - and then try to stretch it back into position.

It was *still* a pain. I'd have thought that someone would be making proper "spreaders" for springs, but Google and Amazon have turned up some unexpected designs that don't look like they'd be much help at all.

Done loads of these, removing the hub makes it a lot easier job.

I use a pair of small mole grips to grip the end of the spring whilst stretching it, sometimes a pair of solid side cuts works better, but with the hub off you can get the spring on easier.

bytecode wrote:I ended up cutting a notch into the end of a flat bladed screw driver so that I could use it to hook the end of the spring safely - and then try to stretch it back into position.

Like. I will be doing this when I come to replace the handbrake cabling and backplates.

It was *still* a pain. I'd have thought that someone would be making proper "spreaders" for springs, but Google and Amazon have turned up some unexpected designs that don't look like they'd be much help at all.

wonder if there's some simple modification that could be made to a large G-clamp... or a pair of clips to go on the hooks of a suspension spring compressor...

Hi

I find that the easiest way of attaching the springs, is to do it before the shoes are fitted to the backplate. i.e. fit top spring to shoes and position against backplate, fit bottom spring and use shoes and screwdriver to lever the shoes and springs into position and then fit retaining clips and springs to back plate.

Job done