Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hope you can help. I have a 1988 Porsche 924S which means it has rear discs with handbrake shoes separate, breaking in middle of disc. Needed new handbrake shoes and fitted them properly. The problem is the springs in centre of both brake shoes, which hold shoes to backing plate, came out easily , but pushing them in with screwdriver, and turning them, they will catch , but don't hook in securely. The alloy suspension arm is corroded. It seems strange that the spring end does not clip in, and this means they pop out again ! No amount of turning with spring compressed properly connects them. The springs are rust free and undamaged. I certainly would be very unhappy about replacing disc and calliper for one of these to pop off ! One has popped off already ! I had replaced the disc and was operating the handbrake . Seems no point in replacing all this when these springs are decidedly dodgy ! I have return springs and adjuster and operating levers working. Just seems so strange a springed end which does not clip in. Hope you can help and thank you.

I have just redone mine on the 944 which sounds like it is similar. I used one of the other springs to hook around the end of the spring you trying to fit and pulled it through into position with some pliers (on the end of the second spring).

they can be tricky sods - the J shape on the end of the spring has to go over a small bump in the back of the casting, other wise it will come out again. You have to press the spring in with a big screwdriver so its completely compressed. From memory you push the spring in, then slide it down so it goes over the bump.Then release it. You can see the bump in the casting on the rearmost position if you look in from the back of the hub - might need a torch to see it. similar on the forward spring - however you can only see if the spring is located properly through a small gap in the casting. And you can only see the tip of the J bit when its correctly located (patience needed)

If you are reusing the old springs then they should go back in OK. if they are new springs you may need to file/grind a smidge off the end of the tip of the J end. If you don't get them in right they will come out as you drive around and get mangled up inside. (don't ask how I know this)- once you get one in its obvious.