Anti-squeal springs

[will_curry]

I've been working away on a late Arrow I inherited. It's been parked under
a bench in a workshop since 1979 and has suffered more than a few indignities
in the course of its life. I had Arrows and a Leader in my youth, all of which
required resurrection so, apart from a fading memory, I'm no stranger to them.
Except I've come to a shuddering halt - so to speak - with the back brake on
this one. I've not met the anti-squeal springs before, or, if I have, I've
forgotten it. 'Selective amnesia' I think it's called. The Workshop Manual is
no help. 'Remove the springs' is the best it manages. As an ex-writer of manuals
I suspect the author of this otherwise admirable volume had about as much idea
about how to remove these springs as I do. That probably applies to replacing them
too.

So, how do I remove and replace these springs?

[Ivor Collins]

Hi Will
I can see you’ve not had a reply yet so it’s maybe an unusual problem, not sure that I can be of much help here as I too have not come across anti squeal springs so far. I take it you have steel shoes, not the very early cast ally ones?
You say that you have a late model, anti squeal springs were surely only fitted to early models? Clearly they were found to be superfluous and deleted so maybe that’s what you should do - with an angle grinder if you can’t hook then off....
If you’ve not sorted it out yet maybe posting a photo here would help.

[rogerlee]

Hi Will,Not much of a problem,If you have John Ellis little book of spot the difference no. 13 it gives a good picture of them fitted,The way I remove them is with a 10 inch screw driver with a small slot ground in the blade,Position the blade between the brake shoe and the hook end of the spring,Push down on the screw driver using it as a lever and hit the pigs tail end of the spring with a hammer and then retrieve the spring from the darkest corner of the shed,To put it back use same slotted screw driver and push down the hook end of the spring with one hand and with the other hands thumb push down on the piggy tail until the hook just enters the brake plate hole,I then give the hook end a kiss with a small hammer and it should jump into place,Note not all steal brake shoes have this little hole.Flatlander and out

[rogerlee]

Hi Will,Not much of a problem,If you have John Ellis little book of spot the difference no. 13 it gives a good picture of them fitted,The way I remove them is with a 10 inch screw driver with a small slot ground in the blade,Position the blade between the brake shoe and the hook end of the spring,Push down on the screw driver using it as a lever and hit the pigs tail end of the spring with a hammer and then retrieve the spring from the darkest corner of the shed,To put it back use same slotted screw driver and push down the hook end of the spring with one hand and with the other hands thumb push down on the piggy tail until the hook just enters the brake plate hole,I then give the hook end a kiss with a small hammer and it should jump into place,Note not all steal brake shoes have this little hole.Flatlander and out

[will_curry]

Thank you gentlemen.

I'll give it a try once I've got a bit further with my tax return. High on the
list of people to remain on good terms with is one's accountant along with one's
dentist and MOT tester.

I've already been the victim of the Revenge of Zebedee over the circlip which
retains the sleeve in the sprocket bearing. This is the unobtainable one according
to DraganFly. It evaded me for two days before I found it quite by chance while
looking in a box of plumbing fittings on a different quest. Big relief.

[bh.sprint]

Just a bit more information,

My Leader 1964/5 has the lipped brake plates and the anti squeal springs, so I assume the springs were a later addition. I've only had one instance where the brakes squealed and that was on the TLS conversion. I use a pair of strong pliers to get the spring out and back in. Brian H.

[will_curry]

Five minutes of filing and bending and five minutes of applied brute force (at which
I'm quite good) and the springs are removed. I still have both springs and a full
compliment of eyes and fingers.

Thanks once again.