Patent ID: 6327769
Filing Date: 2001-12-11
Classification: B25B,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of facilitating drum brake maintenance operations, including the steps of:providing a spring retraction tool having a generally rigid main body and two respective retractable members positioned so as to simultaneously engage a respective pair of brake springs of a drum brake arrangement whenever said tool is positioned on an exposed wheel flange;seating said tool on the exposed wheel flange in a predetermined position with said retractable members engaged with the respective brake springs;retracting said retractable members a predetermined distance so as to release the respective brake springs from engagement thereof with a pair of respective brake shoes, and so as to hold both of the released brake springs in such retracted and released positions to permit extraction of the respective brake shoes;selectively removing the extractable brake shoes and conducting drum brake maintenance operations;returning a pair of brake shoes into operative position in the drum brake arrangement;extending said retractable members to reverse said retracting thereof so as to re-engage the respective brake springs with the respective brake shoes; andremoving said tool from the exposed wheel flange.