Rear drum brake keeper spring pop off

[rreegg]

Anyone had issues with the rear drum brake keeper springs popping off before? These are the ones that have the silver J shaped hangers to hold in place.
Went down to adjust the shoes yesterday and noticed both the J hangers were missing on the passenger side.

I’m not sure how this happened but possibly related to the parking brake adjustment wire? The adjustment wire is routed very close to the rear spring .
Had to purchase a hardware kit to get new J hangers and hopefully redoing things will be all good.
Not sure if I’m missing something or if there’s operator error.

The brake hardware kit has these springs in both red and green, would assume red is “right”/passenger side. The previous springs on this side were red as well so think I’m using the correct parts. No issues on the drivers/left side

Edits for clarity

 

[rreegg]

Haynes manual calls these the “hold down” springs, for what’s it’s worth. Keeper springs is my own term

 

[Kdo58]

Yes. I hate them.

 

[Nero]

Never had one fall off, but I always replace them when I put new shoes on

 

[DougBoy66]

I don't know anything about them but, I have to tell you, those are the cleanest drum brakes I have ever seen. Even if you just worked on them, they usually never look that good.

 

[Cubey]

A 1978 Dodge camper van had that happen after I paid a lot of money ($1000+) for brake work (+tow and diff rebuild because an ****** hick running a repair shop, that I should not have trusted, tore it apart and didn't know how to put it back together) which damaged the brand new drum I provided. So yeah I got ripped off twice, by the hick and by the second shop. Oh and they stole the other new drum, one was old and one was new.

And then I got ripped off on the IDI RV for brake work too at a third shop.

I don't trust shops to touch my brakes anymore.

 

[jim x 3]

The parking brake self adjuster cable runs between the holddown spring assembly and the backing plate. From your photos 3 and 4, it looks like your assembly is correct.

 

[DirtyWood]

Years ago I had one of those hold down springs pop off and make enough noise that I noticed it and avoided any real damage. I put the spring back on and it's been years without another problem. I'm sure it was operator error on my part but I don't know where I went awry.

 

[rreegg]

Thanks all for the input and the sanity check - the design does seem a bit brittle for the J hooks so not surprised they’ve popped off for others. This is actually the second time they’ve popped off for me after replacing pads and hardware last October. Fingers crossed it stays put because the brake action is currently very good.
I previously used Oreilly hardware and purchased Napa hardware this time around. Doubt it will make much a difference but..

 

[u2slow]

I had one instance of those springs letting go on one side of my F350. Fixed it with new hardware and never happened again. My E350 and Dodges have those drum brakes too, yet no similar issue has come up for about 15 years now.

 

[Old Goat]

I think you are talking about the bent nail that holds the Red Spring?
If so, maybe old and wear from movement of applying the Brakes a million times, the heads wore down and popped through the hole.

Those red Springs really have a lot tension on them, and a pain to
get on. I have an old wide flat blade Screw Driver I cut a "V" into it to push the Spring, while holding the Nail with a 6" VG.

I took the R/R Drum and Hub off my 85, and the long spring across
the bottom was snapped on one of the coils.


Goat