Hi all, I gave my brakes on my 1990 90 a service today, front pads, rear shoes, rear cylinders, fluid etc. I've done these jobs many times on several different vehicles but never on a 90 as I only bought it 8 weeks ago. What's bugging me now is that when I took the drum off, the top return spring was attached at one end on a metal dowel sticking out from the back plate, and the other end was attached by being hooked through a hole in the shoe! So this is how I reattached them! But the diagram I was working from showed the spring attached to the metal dowel on the back plate and a similar metal dowel on the back of the shoe itself! Will this make a difference?
Sorry if this is a stupid noob question!

It's been a while since my 90 has had drum brakes on the rear axle, but if I recall correcly there should be two springs. One at the bottom that attaches to both springs. And one at the top that attaches to a peg on the backplate and then to the leading shoe.

As for how it attaches to the leading show, I think the ones on mine used to go onto a peg on the shoe. Just forward of where the snail cam adjuster is. It should be fairly obvious, if the peg is in place on the shoe then it should be used.

In practice I doubt it would make much difference, so long as the front shoe is pulled back in straight (this top spring is what stops the leading shoe locking up) and it clears the snail cam adjuster (the spring is handed with the coil toward the rear of the vehicle in order to clear the adjuster) then it would be OK. But better to fit it as intended

Here's a photo. You can see the red top spring goes behind the shoe, on to the peg (which you can see the end of in this side of the shoe, the silver circle).

Cheers retro, I think I'll re fit spring tomoz.
Muchas gracias señor

Dunno if there's owt in this that's any guid tae ye....

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f41/rear-brake-cylinder-renewal-89684.html

A handy wee tip fur ye.. locate springs in the holes and then get a nail / wire or summit tae hold them in place while ye stick them back on....

Cheers guys.
Today I re fitted springs to as in retro's diagram which is the same as my diagram,
But now the rear n/s hub is really tight to turn!! The adjuster is on the minimum it can be. I have just drove home ( about 3 miles on a roads) and it stinks of clutch!! Also the wheel in question is hot to touch!! Why?????

I am watching this with interest. As I am soon buying a defender 90 and it has shoes and I wonder if it is worth to remove my axle off disco 200 to fit it on the new defender to make it all pads brakes etc

Hi guys, took hub bk off today and found nothing untoward so put it back on and all is well- took it to my mates mot bay and he put it on brake tester- all good! Dont know what the **** it was- but thats landrovers I guess!!
To answer your question taffy, I would rather have discs all round mate!