I reclined my brake shoes and installed new springs, I have only driven it twice since and both times the springs came unhooked and are hanging out between the drum and axel cover why don't they stay hooked?
If you have split shoes try installing them on the inside. That is the opposite of the way their normally installed. If their worn or stretched replace them.
John
I tried installing mine on the "inside" and even that didn't work for me. I think slight differences in the shoes make some more prone to pop the springs loose.
What did finally work, was to drill a very small hole through the backing plate behind the middle of the springs and use a piece of safety wire or a small cotter pin to secure the springs against the backing plate.
2 years now and they haven't come unhooked yet.
What do you mean " inside" I didn't think there were different ways to install them
"Backwards" is having the open end of the hook facing out away from the backing plate. This has a slight tendency to pull the tops of the shoes towards the backing plate. The "normal" way tends to pull them out at the top slightly. It can, though slight, make a world of difference. Though thinking about it I tend to think you have worn springs anyway. Again, this only applies to split shoes.
The springs are new
John, I suppose you have a 1909-25 T with the smaller drums in the rear.
Since you talk about reining your brake shoes I suppose you have some type of accessory brake shoes since original Ford shoes wasn't made to be lined.
The latest best type of repro accessory shoes hasn't been on the market long enough to need relining for most users so you may have the earlier style repro shoes sold for many years through the vendors up until a year or two ago?
They were rough in the casting and needed some grinding and filing to fit. Maybe the area where the springs hooks up is made a bit thick so you need to thin them some to make sure the spring hooks gets in place and stay there?
Did you use them before they were relined? Did the springs stay in place then? Bud H's idea sounds like a working solution.
Shorten the springs a tad by cutting 3/8" off the hooks, and then re-bend the wire.