🔧 Lisle 50600 Spring Brake Tool for GM: Efficient Solution for Brake Maintenance Review

Purchased and used to replace the rear drum/pads on a 2006 Saturn Ion (which had a 2005 style brake pad/cable design). I would not buy or use it again. There was no room around the tool to easily maneuver the shoes and connecting the emergency brake cable was impossible without it. Just use a tool (big pliers) and "tuck away" like you see in some videos.

If you are using this for a small spring it might help but not for large truck springs. It won't hold the spring in place while you're working on replacing the pads or wheel cylinder. It can even be dangerous if your hands get in the way when you let go. The threaded retainer doesn't even have enough thread area to fully pull the spring out of the truck's big shoes. waste of money.

If you make drum brakes this item is a MUST! It takes a little practice to figure out how to spread it out properly so that it sticks to the base plate and forms the right angle when it grabs the spring, but once you know how, your life will be a lot easier. These allow you to change shoes without removing the spring, which is great for takeoff, but even better when you're done, and you can just use them to adjust the spring in the hole to hold the shoe, even when it's only temporary while you…

I would highly recommend this to anyone who has never made horseshoe springs. Without them you can lose an eye! I almost did! If I was new they existed, I would have ordered them a year ago. I've figured out a nice way to make them without it, but without it it will take about an hour's work over the spring if you're not very familiar with it. Trust me, don't joke and order it. The quality is about 8 out of 10 points. Will last a lifetime for home use IF USED AND STORED PROPERLY. For store use…

This tool is worth every penny. Having made a spring brake once at work without this tool, I immediately bought it. I actually tried to find it at the auto parts store on brake repair day but no one kept it in stock. So I fiddled with the brakes with pliers and swearing. But since buying this I've gotten a few more Chevy trucks with a spring and I've been amazed at how much easier this tool has made it. It only takes a minute to install and remove the spring from the brake pads. The tool will…