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I have a Kent adult tricycle. It has a band brake attached to the rear axle. The brake pad is old and no longer grips, so I need to replace it. Apparently I can't just replace the pad because it is riveted to the whole brake assembly. So I have to replace the whole brake assembly. The brake assembly is fixed around the axle, and to remove it I have to first remove the whole axle.

My problem is two wire pins that hold the axle in place. I call them pins but they are actually a length of wire, doubled up and inserted through a hole in the axle, with the loose ends wrapped around the axle. I don't know what tools I should use to remove them, or what tools I will need to put them back in place afterwards, or if I need to buy new pins, or even what they're called. There is little space to work in. See the picture below.

enter image description here

Here's a closeup of the brake-side pin. This one is particularly tricky because the brake housing is attached to the frame very close to it, and there isn't quite enough room to unscrew the brake housing from the frame (there's a hex screw on the inside of the brake housing). I can't unscrew the brake housing until I first get rid of the rear sprockets to make more room to fit my hex wrench, which I can't do until I've removed the axle.

enter image description here

So, how do I remove and replace these pins, and what are they called?

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    The pins are called split pins. yours are long. Sometimes they can be reused but it's better to get new ones as they are usually not expensive
    – Noise
    Commented Aug 28, 2023 at 19:43
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    Americans call these things "cotter pins."
    – DavidW
    Commented Aug 28, 2023 at 22:39
  • @Noise There's also the issue where it's much easier to pull an old one than to thread it back in, especially if it's long, without spending an inordinate amount of time trying to straighten it out.
    – DavidW
    Commented Aug 28, 2023 at 22:40

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As per comment, these pins are referred to as split pins or cotter pins (depending where in the world you live). While some people do reuse them, they should be replaced with new ones whenever they are removed. They are cheap and easy to buy from any hardware or automotive supply store.

When replacing, look for ones that are the correct diameter and length. There is a bit of leeway here. In your case the pins you have are probably on the long side, as long as you have enough length to bend the ends over, so the pin is secure and won't come out, the length is fine (it is acceptable to trim the end if the pin is too long). Make sure the pin is big enough the head does not go through the hole, but it should not be a tight fit into the hole.

To remove them, use a tool like a screwdriver to bend the end straight. From there you can usually pull the pin out with pliers. In this case, there's not a lot of space, but you can probably get pointed nosed pliers in. You may be able to push the pin though once you have the ends straight.

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    If you have long nosed pliers, I would use them instead of a screwdriver to straighten the ends of the pin before pulling. Pushing the pin out is hard unless it's really straight (especially for a long one like this) but with long nosed pliers it's often possible to hook one end through the loop and use an adjacent flange as a fulcrum to lever it out.
    – DavidW
    Commented Aug 29, 2023 at 14:50
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    (@DavidW) after bending both legs fairly straight, you can pinch them together with pliers and push part way . That works well, and beyond that point the hole will old the legs together
    – Chris H
    Commented Aug 29, 2023 at 15:18
  • In the end it took a lot of force to remove the pins. After bending the wings straight I was able to use a boot hook to pull out the shifter-side pin, but the boot hook bent when I tried to do the same on the brake-side pin. The method that worked in the end was to take a thin wire and thread it through the eye of the pin, then wind the wire around a pair of needle nosed pliers and use the pliers as a lever against the frame to pull on the wire. I got new pins and hopefully they won't be as hard to put in as the old ones were to remove!
    – causative
    Commented Aug 30, 2023 at 17:09

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