Hey guys, got all my brake parts (I thought) the other day and went to start reassembling the rears on my 91 W250 and realized the pushrods/wheel links from the old wheel cylinders are roached. Anybody have a part number? Or is my best bet to take them to the parts store and see if they can find a match. The nearest parts store is an hour and a half away so I’m hoping to save myself a trip if I can.

 

I would contact Oliver Foster on this forum, he has quite the collection and is not too bad of a guy ...Mark

 

I would take them to the parts store and ask why they weren't included in the brake parts kit. I would thought they would have been part of the wheel cylinders but I can't remember when I last got mine. They shouldn't be to hard to find.

How badly are they roached? Could you clean them up on a wire wheel? Be sure to hold them with pliers though. (ouch!)

Edwin

 

I agree, they should have been included in the kit with the new springs, pins and retainers......Ben

 

Yeah I was surprised they weren’t in the kit as well.I felt like I got cheated but when I went back on rock auto, none of the kits list them as included items. I’m thinking they’re beyond repair, the rear brakes hadn’t worked in a LONG time by the looks of them.

I’m not familiar enough with drum brakes to know whether they’re a one off, vehicle specific item. Thinkin I’ll send them down to the parts store and see what they come up with.

 

From what I can see of the one piston rod that I can see it isn't that bad. The rest of the parts that aren't included in the typical kit would clean up IMHO. With drum brakes the brake dust mostly stays inside the drum so it can collect on everything and make things look awful. The only reason I started using the spring kits is because they are a lot less trouble than cleaning everything up. Heck we used to hone the cylinders and put new stuff in them also but the cost of new ones makes it hard to justify the work. But If you have a long drive to get new pins I would clean those up first. IMHO.

Edwin

 

My standard procedure was to use a water hose and spray nozzle on brakes after removing the drum, then I could just hose all the nastiness right out the shop door...I kept a few cigar boxes full of discarded but still usable parts just in case they were needed...That foresight saved my bacon more than once......Ben

 

The worst of the corrosion is where it was in contact with the rubber boot.

It’s hard to get a decent picture but there’s a fair amount of pitting. Maybe I’m worried about something that’s not worth worrying about. The old lady certainly wouldn’t complain if I didn’t have to buy new ones.

 

That looks usable...I'd clean it up on a wire wheel, coat it with a little silicone grease and re-use it......Ben

 

Was that thing under water at some point or do you live somewhere they use a very corrosive salt to de-ice the roads? That's the worst I've seen. The main pain point is the tiny little ears that keep engaged with the Brake shoe. Those are the parts covered with your fingers in the pic. The pits on the shaft will let water into the brake cylinder but that could be sealed if you can't fine new ones. It might be worth the trip to get new ones just for peace of mind.

Edwin