Austin 7 Restoration - New Brake Linings And Brake Spring Removal Tool

Today we are fitting new brake linings in the Austin 7 restoration and using a brake spring removal tool to do this without removing the wheel hubs. The new brake linings are riveted to the brake shoes. To remove the brake shoe springs without the spring removal tool is very challenging and probably even more difficult to put the springs back in without the brake tool. We found the website below and made our own tool to get the job done a whole lot easier.
The tool we made to remove the brake springs is credited to the Bristol Austin 7 Club who have a great article on the brake removal tool and how to make one in the link below.
www.ba7c.org/technicalArticle...
If you enjoyed the video please feel free to buy me a coffee with this link
www.buymeacoffee.com/carchimp
#austin7 #vintagecars #carrestoration

[@johnclay4811]

Hello It is easier if you drill the rivets out on the back the drill will centre itself. You can get a rivet set tool to bash up the rivets. I use an angled piece of wood that fits into the vice to hold the shoe, you do need 3 hands! If the lining was fouled with oil that needs to be looked at. Not only a new seal but the seal surface will need work. Dad had a Ruby the same year as yours and did a bowden cable conversion to the front brakes this was the 60's. Are they still available ? not sure. The brakes were poor from new. apart from the girling back axle later cars. Your dynamo was not working did you know? The ignition light never went out. Cheers

[@classicandvintagecars]

Thank you, lots of good advice there! We will have the drums off again and get them cleaned up. The car stood for around 40 years so lots of jobs to do still. The dynamo is one of those on the list.

[@johnclay4811]

Hi Before you spend more of the folding try taking the wires out of the dynamo and flashing the field coils ( normally the green wired terminal but check!) with the terminal on the battery which IS NOT the earth to the car. After a long lay up the residual magnetism in the core is lost. You are looking for a bright blue spark it may take 3 or 4 goes! Cheers@@classicandvintagecars

[@classicandvintagecars]

We have heard about that, great idea. Thank you 🙏

[@austinswallow]

That's a neat tool, I have not seen that type before, I use a hooked spring tool, which is ok, but is pull to put on/take off, pushing looks easier. Did you have two adjusters on the same front brake cable? I think you are only allowed to use one per cable, I don't like these at all as they distort the cable. On my Swallow (my Ruby has hydraulic brakes) for the rear brakes I used stainless steel adjustable rigging connectors rather than pulling the cable through the hole & then trying to clamp it in position - always goes back to where it was before anyway - the rears were originally supplied with an adjustable connection to the brake bar, but no-one supplies them like that now, mine mimics how it left the factory and makes the adjustment of the cable much simpler! Thanks for sharing!

[@classicandvintagecars]

The tool made a big difference. Click the link in the description to the Bristol club who enlightened me to it. We had an adjuster on the cable both sides of the car for the front brake cable. We are keen to try a similar set up to what you use on your Swallow for future adjustment. Thank you for sharing. We will be looking at everyones brake cable set up at the Beaulieu Event in the summer.

[@rodneywicks9980]

please dont hit your drums on with a hammer ass you can loosen the rivets or damage the shoe

[@classicandvintagecars]

It hurts your ears too!

[@chrismatthews5770]

LININGS not pads

[@classicandvintagecars]

THANKYOU, we managed to call them linings and shoes more than we called them pads so hopefully we didn’t confuse you too much!