The late Mark V sliding pivot front brake assemblies have springs to pull the shoes back after application of the brakes. The shop manual says these springs have one attachment on the brake and the other on the backing plate, page L.15 bottom “Note that on the sliding pivot type the pull off springs are attached to the shoe leading end and to a peg on the back plate”.
On both of the front brake assemblies on my car the return springs are attached to grooved posts on the opposite shoes on both ends, no attachments to the backing plate. Is this correct, a later change, or should I alter the spring connections?
Mine is also sliding pivot type, and I have a total of three posts on the web of each shoe. The two larger have grooves and are for the springs, and the smaller without groove is where the eccentric cam adjuster rubs to move the shoe out.
There are no attachments to the backing plate.
I think we have to allow for the interpretation that the manual was written poorly here, possibly using language from the fixed pivot brakes or a previous manual, and possibly by a person who was not intimately familiar with the new design, or was confused and thinking of the XK120 brakes, which do not have posts, on which the springs hook directly through the web of the shoe.
Thanks for detailed reply. My brakes look like those in your photos. Shoes have three posts, two grooved. The cam adjustor has the spring running just under it near the cam perimeter, the cam rides a couple mm from the top of the ungrooved post. It all seems to work well in this geometry, with your similarity I will not worry about changing it.
Gap in spring windings appears to be set up to avoid rubbing on inner lip.
By the way, on the steering connecting tube bolts, I run mine rotated a little more to the back than what shows in your photo. This was learned by putting new tires on with inside wheel weights and finding grooves cut in the lead and one knocked off. Your bolts may be far enough back where they are now, I’m just not sure where the clearance limit is (and this will depend on how your steering lock limits are set as well).
