Primary Return Spring for Ten Inch Rear Drum Brake

[nicka]

Working on the drivers side drum rear brakes and not sure if this is the right primary return spring. This is for a 71 Barracuda.  The service manual shows a longer spring.  I did a quick youtube search and saw a longer spring.

[Dakota]

This is the "sticky" thread that shows some excellent work on rear drum brake rebuilds.   Your return spring is definitely short compared to what's shown.

https://forum.e-bodies.org/wheels-tires-brakes-suspension-and-steering/12/rear-drum-brake-build/3489/

[nicka]

I just compared the old brake shoe with the new one and looks the short spring will work if the holes matched.

[nicka]

Looks like the short spring uses the top hole.

[blown motor]

Note that your top hole in the new shoes is not round and in the old shoes it is. I had the garage replace my rears this past summer. I had the shoes, purchased from a parts store, but they couldn't use them because of a slotted hole and the spring wouldn't stay in. I wonder if this is what they were taking about. I wonder if you have the right shoes even. I meant to follow up on that more but of course never got around to it.

[nicka]

Stopped by my local auto parts store and found a kit with long springs for a 10 inch brake drum is available so went ahead and ordered it.
Just curious if anyone knows why there was a long and short primary retainer springs for the 10 inch brake drums?

[blown motor]

@nicka What brand and part number are the shoes you bought? I want to compare it to my extra set and then pull my wheel and see if I have the long spring or the short one. If I have the short one then maybe I can get the long one and have a spare set on the shelf.

[nicka]

These are the shoes that I bought from Carquest.  The pic on the box is misleading because the pads are smooth.  The new springs will be in next week.

[blown motor]

Thanks man.

[A.Gramz]

Here's how mine came and how I put them back together

[nicka]

Decided to order brake shoes from Classic Industries.  It just arrived and they match up with the ones that I removed.