Brake shoe steady spring...

[David W.]

That little button like spring with the hook that's so difficult to fit,
Why only on the rear shoes? why not on the front?

[philthehill]

My understanding is that the shoe beehive springs were fitted because the rear wheel cylinder moves up and down in the brake backplate and there was the possibility of the shoes tilting and fouling the side of the brake drum when the wheel cylinder moves. The beehive spring alleviates the possibility of the brake shoe tilting and fouling the side of the brake drum as with the beehive spring fitted the shoes are kept tight against and vertical relative to the back-plate.
The beehive springs also help to keep the rear wheel cylinders in place hard against the brake back plate through the brake shoe pivot/adjuster contact point.
The front brake shoes do not have the same problem as the wheel cylinders are fixed and the brake shoe springs are sufficient to keep the brake shoe away from the drum.

[mike.perry]

I gave up fitting the beehive springs years ago and have had no problems

[Nickol]

agree - I have never been able to work out how to fit them anyway. Even taking them off to get the shoes off is a struggle.

[les]

I don't know! Any sign of difficulty and some folk just give up! Perhaps the factory had some spare money and thought they'd spend it on some beehive springs just for the hell of it.

[liammonty]

Indeed - totally necessary, just like the blocked oil filter warning light that BMC chose to fit

[philthehill]

If you do not have the blocked oil filter warning light you then have no indication that if the oil filter is blocked / full of crud that all of the engine oil is not being filtered and is by-passing the filter via the oil filter bypass valve (located in the head of the head of the filter) with all the crud going around the engine.

As regards fitting the bee-hive springs a pair of stubby pointed nose pliers is the best tool to use. Put the nose of the pointed pliers through the centre of the coil of the spring and press home and with a deft twist the beehive spring hook is held by the loop on the back plate.

[liammonty]

If you do not have the blocked oil filter warning light you then have no indication that if the oil filter is blocked / full of crud that all of the engine oil is not being filtered and is by-passing the filter via the oil filter bypass valve (located in the head of the head of the filter) with all the crud going around the engine.

Hi Phil,

Yes - I'm well aware of that, but servicing at sensible intervals mean I don't need to worry about it... My (ironic) point was rather that BMC deleted it shortly after its introduction, as presumably, as well as it being unreliable, it was deemed necessary. I'm not aware of any modern vehicles with such a warning light fitted

[les]

Ah I now get the jist of your post, however, unlike the filter warning, the beehive springs weren't abandoned!

[liammonty]

This is true Les!! I'm just being provocative - I know of a lot of people don't have them fitted and I haven't heard of them suffering issues with their brakes as a result. Granted they are there for a purpose, but my point with the oil filter light was that occasionally, BMC may have fitted something that was non essential! Difficult medium in which to convey subtleties, the internet!

[les]

No worries, I know what you mean.